No tinkering with FAP contract: DND chief

MANILA — No modification was made on the contract of the Frigate Acquisition Project (FAP), Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said during the Senate hearing on the project Monday.

Lorenzana clarified that they did not change anything in the contract, saying they merely reviewed it.

This includes the Term of Reference (TOR) and makers’list of the FAP component, Lorenzana said.

The defense chief added that all he did was to award the notice of award and FAP contract as all initial works had been completed by the previous DND administration.

The FAP project was initiated during the time of President Benigno Aquino III.

The notice of award was given to Hyundai Heavy Industries in August 2016 while the contract was signed in October that year.

The PHP18-billion project, inclusive of the Combat Management System (CMS) is the subject of an investigation by the Senate committee on national defense and security and the Congressional Oversight Committee on the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act, to determine whether the acquisition of the combat ships “promotes the goals of the modernization program and complies with pertinent laws”.

The acquisition of the two frigates would provide the Philippine Navy with modern and capable warships to protect the country’s vast maritime territories. (PNA)