Frigate acquisition project on track despite controversy, says acting Navy chief

Newly-installed acting Navy chief Rear Admiral Robert Empedrad on Thursday said there is no delay in the frigate acquisition project despite the controversy that led to the relief from post of former Navy chief Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado.

"The frigate is not been delayed, tuloy-tuloy siya and the delivery time is still the same and we are going to process that," Empedrad said, adding two frigates are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2020.

He said the Navy needs to prepare many things for the arrival of the frigates including the docking place, personnel who will be assigned to it, and the missile and torpedo that it will use.

"Kasi maraming problema ang frigate, 'yung how to prepare the Philippine Navy for the frigate is the most important one," he said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday that Mercado was relieved from his post for "jeopardizing" the project worth P15.5 billion. He went as far as saying that he has lost trust and confidence in Mercado.

Lorenzana has accused Mercado of "insubordination," saying he had issued more than two directives that Mercado had "disregarded." He said Mercado "continued to insist on his system."

Empedrad said the Navy should move forward from the incident.

"The Navy is a very dynamic organization and I'm happy to be at the helm of the Navy, and I would like to ask all the members of the Navy, sailors and Marines too, let's work as a team so that we can move on with what we envision for the Navy," he said. —KBK, GMA News