Duterte repeals Gloria Arroyo EO on military procurement

President Rodrigo Duterte has repealed former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's executive order that meant to streamline defense contracts.

Duterte signed on April 7 Executive Order No. 18, noting that EO No. 235 Arroyo signed in 2003 limited the authority of the Department of National Defense (DND) secretary to delegate the approval of procurement contracts and establish a single Bids and Awards Committee for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"It has been observed that the implementation of EO No. 235 resulted in bureaucratic impediments and unnecessary delays in the procurement of important defense projects," the EO stated.

"The Secretary of Defense is hereby mandated to identify and institutionalize measures that will effectively monitor the operations of the separate Bids and Awards Committee which may be created pursuant to RA No. 9184 to ensure and promote transparency, impartiality, and accountability in procurement transactions," it also read

Nonetheless, all defense procurement contracts, including those presently being processed and/or reviewed, will be reviewed and/or processed in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act and EO No. 423 (s. 2005) as amended by EO No. 645 (s. 2007). —ALG, GMA News