Defense exec: Troops almost ran out of ammo during Marawi siege

The military almost ran out of ammunition during the siege in Marawi against the ISIS-inspired Maute group, a defense official said Tuesday.

During a Senate hearing on the proposed Special Defense Economic Zone (SpeDEZ), Defense assistant secretary for installation and self reliance defense posture Manuel Ramos admitted that the government had problem sourcing bullets for the troops as they have used up their supply.

Ramos said it was a good thing “we found some allies to supply us.”

He said the same thing happened when the government declared an all-out war against Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2000 during the term of President Joseph Estrada.

Asked by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate economic affairs committee, if there were any instance the military had problems sourcing bullets, Ramos answered in the affirmative.

“Yes, sir in [the] total war in 2000 and the Marawi and the bombs we did in the Marawi. We almost expended ourselves,” he said. He, however, refused to give further details as “there could be some security implications. We could discuss this later.”

He also said the Philippines cannot readily get ammunition from other countries even if funds are available due to several factors.

“Just like what happened in our helicopters. They gave some conditions before Canada will supply us helicopters,” Ramos cited.

“They can dilly dally with the supply, we cannot demand that they deliver it on this date,” he added.

The DND is asking the Congress to approve the SpDEZ inside the Government Arsenal Defense Industrial Estate in Camp General Antonio Luna in Barangay Lamao, Limay, Bataan as it will give the government the capacity to produce its own ammunition.

At present, the Philippines is importing 30 percent of small firearms and bullets or 20 million rounds from abroad.

“I think we have no wherewithal to use our ammunition. We have no ready reserve ammunition for our troops in case [an] emergency will occur. So we are always dictated by the importation or ammunition supply from other countries just like what happened in Marawi and other insurgencies that we had since the total war in 2000,” said Ramos.

“We have almost expended all our ammunition and our bombs, so we are dependent really. So we want to be self-sufficient in our war reserves like the ammunition that’s why we want to have Special Defense Economic Zone,” he added.

He said with the SpeDEZ “anytime our armed forces will be ready for any insurgency or exigency or security threat and we could always defend our country.”

Gatchalian asked Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez to talk as there are some opposition from the Finance Department regarding the SpeDEX.

“Sana mag-dialogue sina Sec. Lorenzana and Sec. Dominguez. It will be beneficial to move forward with the bill.  The economic cluster is thinking about the pesos and cents, that’s your job, but, on the other side, we have to go beyond pesos and cents. Discuss and find some form of consensus,” he said before suspending the hearing.

“In the end, kayo po ang mag-iimplemet ng bill, the implementation lies in the hand of the executive side, mabuti na mapag-usapan na mabuti,” he added. — RSJ, GMA News