{"id":221376,"date":"2019-07-03T18:49:20","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T22:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=221376"},"modified":"2019-07-03T18:49:20","modified_gmt":"2019-07-03T22:49:20","slug":"duterte-hopes-to-complete-paf-modernization-within-his-term","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/07\/03\/duterte-hopes-to-complete-paf-modernization-within-his-term\/","title":{"rendered":"Duterte hopes to complete PAF modernization within his term"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte strikes his signature pose with Senator Ronald dela Rosa, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Benjamin Madrigal Jr., Philippine Air Force (PAF) Commander Lieutenant General Rozzano Briguez, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., and Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go during the 72nd PAF Anniversary at the Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on July 2, 2019. VALERIE ESCALERA\/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA<\/strong>\u00a0— President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday night expressed hope that the modernization program of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) would be completed before he steps down in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am hoping and praying that before my remaining three years will expire, that all of these things especially the labeled \u2018Horizon Projects\u2019 of yours will be completed during my term,\u201d Duterte said during the 72nd anniversary of the PAF at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to leave the office of the presidency with an assurance to myself that I leave the functions, pass it on to the next whoever he will be,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Duterte was referring to the Second Horizon of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, which involves PHP139-billion worth of projects including the procurement of utility vehicles, drones and other command and control fixed-wing aircraft, among others.<\/p>\n

He also welcomed the acquisition of an Air Defense Radar System and an FA-50PH flight simulator earlier this year, which will be supplemented by the expected delivery of six A-29B Super Tucano Aircraft and another Air Defense Surveillance Radar System.<\/p>\n

Duterte said he wanted to complete the modernization program because he was not sure that his successor would share the same priorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cGusto ko lang kumpletuhin \u2018yan baka ang susunod sa akin<\/em>\u00a0(I just want to complete it because maybe my successor) would not be a fellow of like-minded. He might have other priorities,\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

He, however, clarified that his desire to complete the PAF\u2019s modernization program did not mean that the government has \u201cexceedingly plenty of money\u201d but just enough to acquire what is needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not saying that we have exceedingly plenty of money. But God has been kind to us. We have almost — the thing — ah the money or the things that we need that are immediate and urgent,\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

Duterte, meanwhile, told members of the PAF that he had never denied a request to beef up their capabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring my time, I have never said \u2018no\u2019 to any of the commanders and to (Defense Secretary) Delfin Lorenzana\u00a0at kay<\/em>\u00a0(National Security Adviser) Secretary Esperon. All the things that they wanted for our Armed Forces\u00a0pati ang pulis<\/em>\u00a0(even the police),\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

He assured the PAF that the Duterte administration will continue to pursue efforts to enhance their capabilities.<\/p>\n

Duterte acknowledged PAF for its efforts in providing rescue and relief operations to areas devastated by calamities, in the aerial observation of calamity areas, and in airlifting personnel, victims and relief goods.<\/p>\n

He also commended the airmen for providing air assets and close personnel support to ground troops during engagements with the Abu Sayyaf and other local terrorist groups.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MANILA\u00a0— President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday night expressed hope that the modernization program of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":221377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1145,16,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-221376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headline","category-news","category-news-ph","mauthors-azer-parrocha","mauthors-philippine-news-agency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221376"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":221378,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221376\/revisions\/221378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/221377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}