VACC hits ‘interest groups’ in Navy deals

MANILA, Philippines — The militant Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Friday criticized alleged “interest groups” in the government for pushing defense projects when its funds have been depleted by the pandemic.

VACC president Arsenio Evangelista after President Duterte declared that the government’s budget was “wiped out” due to COVID-19, “we find out that the Department of Budget and Management released initial funds for P50 billion worth of defense projects that may be reset to 12 months later.”

He said it would be very difficult to justify procuring pricey ships for the Philippine Navy and hypersonic missiles that may never be used against the Chinese Navy over the West Philippine Sea row.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana recently announced that the Philippines has ordered two new warships worth P28 billion to modernize the Navy.

The government has also earmarked P18.9 billion for a BrahMos cruise missile system for the Navy, according to Evangelista.

He added that the group is neither blaming Lorenzana nor the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“We are demanding accountability from the interest groups who pushed for these midnight deals, and caused the release of the funds, at a time of pandemic and disaster. The manner by which these funds were suddenly made available and released smacks of a repeat of the Pharmally deals,” he said, referring to allegations that the pharmaceutical firm, which had a paid-up capital of P625,000 cornered P10 billion in pandemic supplies.