“Fake news.”
Department of National Defense (DND) Spokesperson Arsenio Andolong immediately clarified this, regarding reports that France allegedly offered the Philippines two submarines in exchange for permission to conduct research in Philippine waters.
According to Andolong, this has no truth.
“Many suppliers have expressed interest in selling us submarines, including France. However, there is no truth to the report that there is an offer to the Department for submarines in exchange for permission to explore Philippine waters,” he said.
It is known that the Philippines and France had a Defense Cooperation Agreement in 2016, but nothing was discussed about the said agreement.
Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. said that the purchase of submarines is not a priority for the Philippines at this time.
The spokesperson added that although the purchase of the submarine is included in the DND’s wishlist under the AFP Modernization Program, the department will give priority to contracts or projects signed during the previous administration to accommodate limited government funds.
It is said that the priority of the DND in their modernization program is the purchase of multi-role and game-changing platforms, which can be used in internal security, territorial defense, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. (Victor Baldemor)
