DND Draws up Bidding Documents for Purchase of New Frigates
THE Department of National Defense (DND) is now drawing up the necessary papers as it chose the public bidding option for the purchase of brand-new frigates.
This was confirmed by DND Spokesman Peter Paul Ruben G. Galvez. “I believe the office handling the acquisition is finalizing the papers for public bidding.”
Galvez, acting chief of staff of Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin, spoke to the BusinessMirror after Philippine Navy (PN) spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic confirmed news reports that the Philippine Navy is seeking to acquire two brand-new frigates.
“It makes sense for the Philippine Navy, for us, for the government to settle for something new,” Galvez said, adding that the first option of buying second-hand frigates on a government-to-government method would be costly in the long run.
“It’s like buying a car that you would need to spend an additional more to overhaul.”
Galvez said while the government-to-government method is also effective, “it’s different this time.”
“We believe that if we invest that amount to be spent for an upgrade, rather than spend it for an overhaul, it would even be beneficial to the country,” he said.
Initially, the bid amount was pegged at P11.7 billion (288 mio USD)
(Business Mirror)
posted by dewh at
2:19 PM
1 Comments:
The Defense Department's shift to buy brand new frigates instead of the Italian Maestrales came quite a dismay and alarming as it showed how amateurish our planners are. First, they announced that the purchase price of P11.8B for the 2 Maestrale Frigates would already include the cost of rehabilitation in order to make them good as new. The DND even touted that the said 2 frigates would be back to point zero after overhaul/rehabilitation. If DND was right in that matter, then the cost of P11.8B would be better for the country instead of the P19B for 2 new frigates.
What is worse is that the country needs 2 frigates for deterence as soon as possible because China has been bent on occupying and exercising with haste effective control over the West Philippine Sea and its islets and atolls. Buying the 2 new frigates which will come to our shores still 3 to 5 years from now indirectly favors China's strategy. By that time when China has effective and complete control of the islets and atolls, the 2 new frigates will not really be of help. If our country will decide to dislodge the Chinese from the territories that should be ours, it will most likely result in the loss of the 2 new ships and much Filipino blood.
I just wish our DND would push thru buying the 2 Maestrale soonest and at the same time work for the preparation and approval prospectively of another budget (one time or yearly) for the desired 2 new frigates.
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