SPONSORSHIP SPEECH SENATE BILL NO. 2269
COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 40

AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 4 (B) OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7898, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE AFP MODERNIZATION ACT, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10349, ESTABLISHING THE 'REVISED AFP MODERNIZATION PROGRAM', AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Mr. President, Distinguished Colleagues, Ladies & Gentlemen:

Your Committee on National Defense and Security has the honor to sponsor Senate Bill No. 2269, under Committee Report No. 40.

In 2012, Mr. President, Republic Act No.10349 or the "Revised AFP Modernization Program" was signed into law. This law was intended to extend the comprehensive efforts to modernize our armed forces for another 15 (fifteen) years and was enacted to introduce much needed reforms, including the allocation of P75 billion for the first five years, to efficiently implement the same.

I am happy to note that because of our passage of the said law, as of January of this year, a total of 36 modernization projects worth P41.2 billion have been completed and awarded.

While the Department of National Defense is doing its level best to hasten the process of acquisition of the equipment essential for the modernization of our military forces, the highly tedious, circuitous and complicated procurement process of the AFP thwarts the full implementation of the said law.

In fact, AFP and defense officials cited the cumbersome procurement process as one of the reasons why they have failed to acquire essential equipment.

One of the possible roadblocks to the acquisition of necessary armament and equipment is the provision in the AFP modernization law which requires that no major equipment or weapons system shall be purchased if the same are not being used by the armed forces in the country of origin or if the same is not used by the armed forces of at least two countries.

This bill seeks to amend and relax the aforementioned provision by allowing the purchase of major equipment or weapons system so long as the same are being used by the armed forces in the country of origin or by the armed forces of at least one country.

It is hoped that by relaxing the said requirement, the acquisition process of the AFP can be unclogged if not expedited, thereby hastening the implementation of the law.

Mr. President, this is not the first time we are tackling this bill. A similar bill was filed, approved and adopted on third reading by the Senate during the 15th Congress but unfortunately, the same failed to get the nod of the bicameral conference committee.

It is our hope that during this Congress, a reasonable compromise could be arrived at and this bill could be finally enacted into law for the benefit of our armed forces and of our country, especially at this time when our country is facing contentious security issues.

Under these premises, it is our belief that it is in the national interest for this august chamber to immediately consider and pass this Bill at the soonest possible time

Thank you, Mr. President.