The Senate investigation on the P18-billion Frigate Acquisition Project (FAP) of the Philippine Navy failed to establish the alleged questionable intervention of Special Assistant to the President
Christopher Lawrence T. “Bong” Go. The probe showed that Go didn’t meddle with the warships deal and was merely a victim of irresponsible reporting and false presumptions. “I have been vindicated. The allegations have not been proven,” Go told reporters after the Senate hearing.
What’s surprising, however, was the unusually big number of Cabinet members that accompanied Go at the Senate probe—Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr., Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr., Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano, Political Affairs Adviser Francis N. Tolentino, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno and Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II, to name some. The Presidential spokesman explained that the officials voluntarily went to the Senate hearing to show their solidarity and support to the President’s top aide.
Go earlier denied he had anything to do with the selection process of the combat management system supplier for the Philippine Navy’s frigate program. He issued the statement following media reports that he allegedly favored Hanwha Thales of South Korea over Tacticos Thales of the Netherlands, which is allegedly the Philippine Navy’s preferred supplier. Explaining that this was a deal made by the previous administration, Go said he is not privy to the frigate transaction.
Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana assured senators that the Navy’s FAP is aboveboard and will strictly conform to the country’s procurement laws. “The DND [Department of National Defense] is ensuring that the procurement process for the frigates are done and completed strictly in accordance with our laws, namely Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, and the Revised AFP Modernization Program,” he said.
The Navy’s FAP is the biggest single procurement so far in the history of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The defense chief said: “For the first time in our nation’s history, we have a chance to own a modern state-of-the-art military hardware, such as the two frigates, which we are acquiring for the Philippine Navy.” Lorenzana, however, lamented that there appears to be a concerted effort by some quarters to cast doubt on the acquisition project, the entire procurement system and the people behind it.
Needless to say, the allegations thrown against the FAP is hurting not just the institution that is tasked to defend our country from internal and external threats but also the country’s seat of power. With the President’s top aide being dragged into the controversy, Duterte’s intolerance to any “whiff of corruption” is being challenged. Which is why the President said that he would fire Go if the media could prove that his special assistant had indeed intervened in the DND procurement.
While the Senate probe failed to establish Go’s involvement in the Navy’s FAP, it unearthed some infirmities in the contract. For example, Sen. Joseph Victor G. Ejercito wondered why the DND allowed a foreign supplier to dictate what weapons system should be installed on the Navy frigates ordered by the Philippine government. He said: “I can’t take it that the Philippine Navy is the end user, but the shipbuilder, Hanjin Heavy Industries, has the option on what combat management system they will install. Why was this allowed in the contract?”
Obviously, Go was not asked to answer the question, as the senators saw that he is not privy to the frigate transaction.
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