DND chief Teodoro opposes conversion of other military bases

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday expressed opposition to the conversion of other military bases in the country citing the “failure” of its model.

Teodoro made statement during his speech at the closing ceremony of the AFP Joint Exercise (AJEX) “DAGIT-PA” in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

“Upon reflection, this firms up my stand that the conversion of bases model is a failure. And I will oppose any further attempts to do so because it is not merely an injustice to the Armed Forces, but an injustice to the Filipino people,” he added.

Teodoro said he has reflected on the effect of the bases conversion on the military. He pointed out that the assets taken away from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were strategic assets and some of them cannot be replicated in other places. 

“The assets that were taken from the Armed Forces were not chosen to be military assets by accident. These were strategic assets,” Teodoro said.

“And taking them away does not only cost us in terms of the lack of funds for modernization but to replicate these bases is not merely a function of replicating structures that we vacate, but the location of these structures cannot be replicated without spending a whopping amount, trillions of pesos. And some assets cannot be replicated anywhere else in the Philippines,” he added.

Teodoro cited Fort Bonifacio as an example.

“It is not only what you see above the ground, but what people saw decades ago below the ground and built it, but we never used. On bedrock for that matter. Then the replication around prefabricated structures somewhere else in a God-forbidden place,” he said.

“So, enough of that. Enough of that. We've sacrificed enough already. And our deterrent posture cannot be sacrificed anymore in the attempt to earn cash, cash, and not strategic or sustained cash, sustained support,” he added.

According to Teodoro, only P45 billion have been earned from bases conversions in 26 years.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) was established under Republic Act No. 7227.

This is to speed up the conversion of military reservations into productive civilian uses like economic zones and new communities, generating funds to support the AFP's modernization and promote economic development. 

On February 3, the Senate passed on third and final reading the Senate Bill No. 2647, which extends BCDA's corporate life for another 30 years.

“Pinapa-extend nila e, ino-oppose nga namin. Huwag na lang i-extend 'yung life. Tapos 'yung [Clark Development Corporation] maiiwan. Hindi na natin mababawi 'yun pero huwag na tayong magbigay pa,” Teodoro said in an ambush interview.

(They want it to be extended, we are opposing it. We do not want to extend its life. Then, the Clark Development Corporation will be maintained. We can't take it back but we will no longer give more.) —AOL, GMA Integrated News