(Update) Arroyo approves purchase of P10-B war gear

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday approved the acquisition of P10 billion worth of combat equipment for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during a pre-procurement conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. The President said the amount will buy attack helicopters, assault rifles, tactical radios and other equipment for the AFP, one of the most ill-equipped in Southeast Asia. AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said that Mrs Arroyo also approved the shopping list of 14 major items to be bidded out this week. "The president has approved the 14 projects, record number of projects that were approved in one day... this is worth P10 billion," Esperon said. Lt.Gen. Antonio Romero, AFP vice chief of staff and development chairman, said that the equipment will "improve the capability of ground troops to fight the insurgents." The bidding for the equipment will start Saturday. "This will be published tomorrow (Saturday) and from there we can start accepting the processing of bids which we hope to open in 30 days," Esperon said. The President earlier ordered the AFP to "strategically defeat" all armed threats to the country by the end of her term in 2010. "This year I expect you to continue treading the path that I outlined as your acting secretary of National Defense…achieve a strategic defeat of the communist terrorist movement by 2010, destroy the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups and contain the secessionist groups in order to establish a secure environment conducive to national development," Mrs Arroyo said. "With your dedication to the service of our country and people, our administration shall continue to implement programs that would propel and its social payback of jobs, food, health and education," she added. The President issued the call during the annual New Year’s call of all military commanders to the Defense chief at Camp Aguinaldo. Mrs Arroyo had said she will be holding the defense portfolio in acting capacity for at least two months. Her former Defense secretary, Avelino Cruz Jr, resigned on November 30, after disagreements with other Cabinet officials over the issue of Charter change. In June last year, the President directed the military and police to eradicate the communist insurgency in one to two years’ time, although security officials later clarified that what was meant was to "drastically" reduce the strength of the New People’s Army (NPA) within the timeframe. Military intelligence estimates the strength of the NPA to be about 7,100. On the other hand, security officials have said that the reported death of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani has dealt a big blow to the extremist group, whose other members are said to be coddling operatives of the regional terror group, Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI). Both Filipino and American forensic experts are conducting DNA tests on the remains of what is believed to be that of Janjalani to confirm the bandit’s leader alleged death following an encounter in Sulu on September 4 last year. On the part of the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the government is still holding peace negotiations with the secessionist group. Formal talks, however, have yet to resume. - GMANews.TV