Defense chief admits chopper procurement to be delayed amid deal cancellation

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted Monday that the country's procurement of utility helicopters will be delayed with President Rodrigo Duterte's order to cancel the signed deal with Canada.

Lorenzana said he will be signing within the week the letter formally informing the Canadian government of the cancellation of the agreement.

"Ma-delay 'yung helicopter procurement natin kasi back to square one tayo sa procurement process. The formal letter cancelling the contract is being prepared and I will sign it this week," he said.

Lorenzana added they are now looking for new suppliers of helicopters.

"We are looking at Korea, Russia, China, and Turkey and other countries for the medium lift helicopters in lieu of the Bell 412," he said.

The Defense chief believes there was malice on the part of the Canadian government when it questioned the use of the choppers.

“[Whether they were fed with] wrong information or not, I think there is malice in the way it is being raised. First, this is just a repeat order. Why do they raise that issue now? Second, it is not an attack helicopter but a medium lift. Meaning panghakot ng tao, supplies,” he said.

He said the helicopters were not a dole-out and the Philippine government does not have to justify how it will use the choppers.

“Third, hindi naman ito hinihingi kundi bibilhin. How we use it is none of their f… business. We do not have to justify how we use these equipment,” he said.

Last week, Canada ordered a review of the $233 million agreement to sell helicopters to the Philippines, a day after it was signed, amid concerns the aircraft could be used to fight rebels. 

Lorenzana earlier said that the aircraft being procured for the Armed Forces of the Philippines will primarily be used for the transportation of personnel and supplies, ferrying wounded and injured soldiers, and the conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations.

“They are not attack or close support aircraft. While they may be used in support of Internal Security Operations or ISO, their role is limited to those that I mentioned,” he said.

As its designation “Combat Utility Helicopter or CUH” connotes, the Bell CUH 412 is a utility helicopter, Lorenzana added.

“Contrary to what some parties mistakenly believe, its mission is to save lives,” he said.

On Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the AFP to terminate the helicopter deal with Canada. 

"I want to tell the Armed Forces to cut the deal. Huwag na ituloy and somehow we will look for another supplier. We respect the stand of Canada," Duterte said at a press briefing in Davao City.

"Do not buy anymore from Canada or from the United States because there is always a condition attached," he added. —KG, GMA News