Recto urges more purchases of locally-made defense gear

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Wednesday said there should be more purchases of locally-made defense equipment with the government increasing its defense spending.

According to Recto, said the police forces in other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are purchasing products made in the Philippines.

Also, one Philippine-made shotgun has become a best-seller among local police departments in several states in the United States.

Local manufacturers, Recto said, could also supply some items needed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) such as patrol ships, troop carrier ships, hospital ships, and police boats.

The senator said this move would not only create local jobs but also generate revenues for the government.

“These can be built in Cebu, where we have a world-class shipbuilding industry. One BFAR [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources] research vessel was built in Navotas,” the senator said. “If other nations find these Philippine-made ships exceptional, then we should, too.”

Further, the senator said that the Government Arsenal (GA) in Bataan run by the Department of National Defense (DND) could be expanded and transformed into an export processing zone.

The GA is an agency that produces weaponry and ammunition for the military, police, and other government law enforcement agencies.

“The know-how is there, the land is there. It is strategically positioned to become a hub for armaments that can be exported,” Recto said.

He said that the Philippine National Police (PNP) would buy 5,000 short firearms and 7,413 long firearms in 2020.

The DND, meanwhile, will be given P35.7 billion for AFP modernization in 2020.

/atm