MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 25 Jul) – Hindi natinag ang Department of National Defense (DND) at Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sa ulat na tatapyasan ng Estados Unidos ang tulong-pinansyal nito sa Pilipinas.
Ayon sa proposal ng US State Department, partikular na mabawasan ay ang Foreign Military Financing to the Philippines ng Amerika na mula $30 milyon ay naging $11 milyon na lamang.
Ipinahayag kanina ni acting Defense Secretary at National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales ang kumpyansang sasapat na ang sariling pondo ng gobyerno upang tugunan ang capability upgrade program ng militar.
"Whatever happens, we will proceed with the upgrade program of the Armed Forces. There's no money coming from international [sources], we will use our own because it is something that we need to do," ayon kay Gonzales.
Bagamat nakapanghihinayang aniya ang mabawasan ng financial aid subalit walang magagawa ang pamahalaan dito. "Sayang lang kung mababawasan tayo ng pera, but that's about it," ani Gonzales.
Kasabay nito'y umalma ang kalihim sa pag-uugnay ng pagbabawas ng US assistance sa pagkakadawit ng AFP sa extrajudicial killings at mga pagdukot.
"I don't know why this is linked to human rights… Let's not treat this as another propaganda issue. We will see the actual result of the deduction," punto ni Gonzales.
Hindi naman naniniwala si Gonzales na makakaapekto ang natapyasang financial aide sa implementasyon ng Human Security Act of 2007 o ang Anti-Terrorism Law.
"We'll see. That's incoming money. We have been doing anti-terrorism activities ever since for several years now, so I don't think so," ayon kay Gonzales. (Juley Reyes)
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