Despite his unceremonious relief as Philippine Navy flag officer-in-command last month, Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado said he harbors no bitterness toward Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana.
“You know I’m a military officer, I obey orders, I know the secretary of national defense, he has some justification for doing it, so I respect…[his decision],” he added in an interview on Wednesday.
The former Navy chief added that he understands such a decision, as he has done it many times during his time as a leader of various naval units.
Lorenzana relieved Mercado from his post as Navy chief last December 18, citing loss of trust and confidence on the integrity and leadership of the naval officer.
This stemmed from the alleged fixation of the former on one company to supply the combat management system of the Frigate Acquisition Project (FAP), a contract won by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries.
At the moment, Mercado is now assigned to the Office of the Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, on special duties.
Earlier, the ex-Navy chief cleared Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go of alleged intervention on the P18-billion FAP.
“This morning (Wednesday) my attention was caught by the reports when I saw a piece of paper…with my name on it, about an instruction given to me by the Secretary of National Defense about the frigate, and apparently because of that there were insinuations about Secretary Bong Go, and you know I just like to come out because, on my side when I was FOIC (flag officer in command…there was never an instance, not once that he (Go) even asked me about the frigate, never…well on my side only, he never intervened, much more talk to me about these things,” Mercado added.
When asked on whether Lorenzana told or ordered him to do something about the FAP, upon the alleged orders of the Go, Mercado answered:
“Let me rephrase. Secretary Bong Go never directly mentioned to me anything about the frigate or indirectly from another person. I never heard any other person mention the name of Secreaty Bong Go in relation to the frigates.”
The FAP is one of the key pieces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program as it seeks to provide the country with the capability to deal with air, surface and sub-surface threats. It will be armed with a variety of missiles and guns capable of defeating such threats.