The squadron of FA50 fighter jets acquired by the government at P18.9 billion will have little use under a Mayor Rodrigo Duterte presidency in which national defense will be a lesser concern compared to education, health, and agriculture programs.
Duterte, the PDP-Laban standard bearer, made this clear as he described the first two FA50s delivered to the country as a “waste of money.†He said those jets and the 10 others still pending delivery may have little or no use at all in addressing the insurgency problem.
Duterte said allocating government’s meager financial resources to prepare for war against China is just illogical since the 12 FA50 fighter jets will be confronted by at least 3,000 units of state-of-the-art Chinese airpower.
“You know we cannot go to war. We cannot join a force that is being planned by America,†the Davao City mayor told students of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños City, Laguna.
“There is posturing right now. It would be for the best interest of the country just to avoid participating in it,†he said.
In his earlier discussions about the Philippines and China’s quarrel over the West Philippine Sea areas, Duterte said that he is open to joint exploration of the contested territories in a bid to settle the dispute.
He said military defense should be used to address local insurgency.
Read more at
http://www.mb.com.ph/duterte-calls-new-fighter-jets-waste-of-money/#WsqER39QpchoLGxD.99