MANILA, Philippines - The
Department of National (DND) on Wednesday said that the government is
continuously trying to modernize its military using its own resources
amid criticisms that the $30 million support offered by the US is
insufficient.
Defense chief Voltaire Gazmin said the Philippines should not rely
too much on the US or other external sources to enhance its military
capabilities.
“We’re not beggars. We are poor, but we certainly will not beg,”
Gazmin said at the Defense Press Corps forum in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon
City.
“We should not be relying so much in so far as our acquisition and
upgrade of our military equipment is concerned. If they (US) will give
us something, okay, then we stand on our own. We try to stand on our
own,” he added.
Gazmin was reacting to criticisms that the $30 million foreign
military financing offered by the US to the Philippines is insufficient.
The US has doubled to $30 million from $15 million the military assistance allocation for the Philippines this year.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, however, said the amount was
“insulting.” He said the amount was too small considering that the US
has been benefiting from its ties with the Philippines.
“If it is just $30 million, if I were the government of President
Aquino, I would say thank you but I don’t need $30 million. We can
provide that $30 million for ourselves," Enrile said last Sunday.
Enrile said it appears that the Philippines is begging alms from the US.
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