The government has recieved $1.4 billion dollars from Malampaya revenue last year. The President should have a special power to tap this fund to buy credible patrol ships, air defense radar, maritime patrol ships and fighter jets immediately to boost our defense against bully nations. Imagine $26 trillion dollars according to Manila Bulletin.
That s why China is so eager to grab this territory. The 1.4 Billion is so small compare to the huge wealth this gas field will give to our country. Its not too late, but the government should act quickly on this. For future generations of Filipinos. Act now please...
The Philippines needs to re-focus, if not shift its defence doctrine from internal security to defence against external threats (which had been the basis of the AFP Modernisation Law to begin with) to ward off or at the very least guard our territory against these irritating foreign bully tactics. There is an absolute need to acquire more naval assets to patrol the West Philippine Sea.
It is primordial to patrol our coastal areas relentlessly short of physically occupying them if they are inhospitable. It is common sense that our house runs less risks of being broken into if someone is in the house. Even the Chinese would be hard put to jerk our military operatives stationed on our shoals or if these shoals were guarded/patrolled.
Our air assets must be modernised as well... they are needed to provide air cover and at the same time do patrol exercises. They will serve as useful deterrence against incursion into our territorial waters.
Modernising our navy and our air force is not a declaration of intent to engage in a shooting war with China forces. Not at all. It is a show of our determination to keep what is ours and if anything at all, modernising these two components of our armed forces will serve as deterrence against potential external threats.
ONE BILLION DOLLARS can easily provide the cash outlays needed for procurement of a few bottoms and their retrofittings which I reckon will be required if we buy second hands. We don't need to go for frigates if the acquisition rationale is to provide navy with patrol powers. Corvettes with 30mm guns (with modern FCS) will be sufficient for the time being. What we need are bottoms, plenty of bottoms!
Another billion dollars can easily provide us the cash outlay needed for the procurement of a squadron of F-16. Even if we start the procurment today, remember that the equipment will not be deliverable before a couple of years at the very earliest. So act now!
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