Palace questions Vice Admiral Mercado’s ‘several’ trips to Thales Tacticos

Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Malacañang is questioning the several trips of sacked Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado  to the office of Thales Tacticos, which he allegedly preferred to be the supplier of the combat management system (CMS) of the Philippine Navy.

“I was hoping that I could bring the documents here proving that he has even gone on trips to the office of Tacticos. But I failed to get it because the people in the Navy were still testifying,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing on Monday.

Roque said he would present on Tuesday the documents showing Mercado’s trips to the office of Thales Tacticos.

“[P]erhaps tomorrow, I will get the documentary evidence that his interest in Tacticos goes beyond the reputation of Tacticos, that he has actually made several trips to the corporate headquarters of Tacticos. And of course, we don’t know why he made these trips to the Tacticos’ office,” he said.