Duterte to spare no expense in equipping AFP hospital

The AFP Medical Center in Quezon City would soon have state-of-the-art equipment and a new building for the hospital needs of the country's soldiers, President Rodrigo Duterte promised on Tuesday.

Duterte indicated that the government would spare no expense to get the best equipment for the military hospital.

"Magpasalamat tayo kay [Budget] Secretary [Benjamin] Diokno. Binigay niya po ang lahat na gusto ninyo na equipment pati isang building," he told injured soldiers, doctors, and nurses on Tuesday evening.

Some of the medical equipment to be disbursed to the medical center include MRI and non-invasive surgery tools.

"I was really surprised na a national government institution na under the Armed Forces of the Philippines, walang MRI," he added.

"It will be released soon," he promised, explaining that he wanted the medical equipment and the building to be ready by December.

No to lowest bid rule

Duterte also said that he did not want to follow the government's "lowest bid" rule in getting contractors for government projects.

"Hindi ako iyong tao na maniwala diyan sa COA [Commission on Audit] iyang the lowest bid kasi kung may bilhin ka kahit ito, itong lowest bid, ibigay sa inyo barat," he said.

In procuring the medical equipment and to complete the hospital building for the AFP, Duterte said that price did not matter.

"One thing I may clear with everybody, there will be no compromise in the lives of soldiers. Ayoko iyong itataya ko ang buhay n'yo. Binigay n'yo iyong buhay n'yo sa bayan n'yo. The least we can do, the bayan, the country through me is to give you what you want. State of the art pati iyong equipment sa giyera. Hindi ako basta-basta magbili sa open market. Gusto ko government to government. O kaya, pakialam ko kung magbili tayo," he said.

Aside from new medical equipment and building for the soldiers' hospital, Duterte also promised to give free education to their kids.

"Anyway, one of the things that you will have in the fullness of God’s time, Inshallah, is iyong program ninyo, mga anak ninyo, libre na ang edukasyon. Iyan ang ipinangako ko noon at gagawin kong totoo, hindi ako nangako ng pabola-bola diyan," he said.

"Kaya matutupad ‘yan, iyong edukasyon," Duterte added. — NB/DVM, GMA News