Palace welcomes Senate plan to probe Navy project

MALACAÑANG on Friday, January 19, welcomed the call in the Senate to look into the controversial P15.7-billion frigate acquisition project of the Philippine Navy.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. believed that the planned Senate investigation would help determine the supposed anomalies committed by the Aquino administration, who he earlier claimed had selected the winning bidder for the purchase of the Combat Management Systems (CMS) for the two frigates.

“(The) Senate investigation is a welcome move to determine if Aquino government committed any anomalies in the bidding,” Roque said in a statement sent to Palace reporters.

Opposition senators sought to investigate the project after Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go was accused of vested interest in the selection of South Korean bidder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the warships’ CMS.

The presidential special aide, however, denied on Tuesday, January 16, any role in the process to choose the weapons system supplier.

Senators Francis Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, Antonio Trillanes IV, Benigno Aquino IV, Risa Hontiveros, and Leila de Lima on Tuesday filed Senate Resolution 584, seeking to probe the warship deal to “determine whether or not such acquisition promotes the goals of the modernization program and complies with pertinent laws.”

Roque came to Go’s defense on Wednesday, January 17, saying that the Special Assistant to the President could not intervene because HHI was selected as early as June 9, 2016.

He said it was “futile to intervene” as the contract had already been given and awarded.

The presidential spokesperson also stressed that the current administration’s role was merely “ministerial” since Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana just issued a notice of award for the South Korean bidder.

“On June 30, as you all know, the President assumed office. And the only involvement of the Duterte administration in this regard is the ministerial issuance of the notice of award,” Roque earlier said.

“Note that under the government procurement law, a bid, once awarded, is then given a notice of award. And all that Secretary of National Defense Lorenzana did on August 18, 2016 was to issue the notice of award,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte announced Tuesday that he would fire Go, if there is enough evidence against him. SunStar Philippines