Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Photo by BEN STANSALL / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines —Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday night said that the government must begin focusing on national defense and start buying warships and missiles.
Locsin made the statement after a netizen expressed the hope that the Philippine Navy would be able to send a boat to the Rim of the Pacific event this year.
“I just hope the Philippine Navy participate in Rim of the Pacific event with a boat this year as I remember back in 2014 where they only sent 2 personnel without even a bangka [boat],” the netizen said in a tweet.
“They should also focus on obtaining medical ships for disaster relief and life-saving operations,” the netizen added.
Locsin then said that the government must start considering focusing on national defense.
“It is time we get warships and missiles. It is time we stop whining about natural disasters and doing something about national defense,” Locsin said.
IT IS TIME WE GET WARSHIPS AND MISSILES. IT IS TIME WE STOPPED WHINING ABOUT NATURAL DISASTERS AND DOING SOMETHING ABOUT NATIONAL DEFENSE. https://t.co/c2XVbbWAjb
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 9, 2019
The Philippine Navy earlier announced that the first of its two missile-armed frigates would be launched in May this year.
In an interview with military radio station DWDD, the Philippine Navy chief, Vice Adm. Robert Empedrad, said he would be with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in South Korea from May 17 to 19 to witness the launching.
The launching of the first frigate, which will be named BRP Jose Rizal, will be followed by the keel-laying of the second missile-armed frigate BRP Antonio Luna.
READ: Philippine Navy’s first missile-armed frigate set for May launch
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