Breaking: Duterte will no longer continue AFP Modernization

Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte has announced live on PTV4 that he won’t longer continue the AFP Modernization.

Duterte cites that fighter jets are just decorative planes.

“Fighter jets are good only for ceremonial flybys. I’m not in favor of building up external defense, I will not got to war with China”, Duterte said.

International analyst have noted that the incoming Filipino president may take a softer stance in regards to the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines and China is locked on a bitter dispute in the West Philippine Sea where China claims the whole sea area with overlapping claims against the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

In 2012, President Benigno Aquino signed the Revised AFP Modernization Program, a multi-billion dollar program that aims to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines which has been left behind by its ASEAN neighbors in terms of defense capability.

With China’s increasing aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea, the Aquino government had seek defense cooperation to numerous allied countries such as the United States, South Korea, Indonesia, Spain, Italy and Japan in a bid to modernize the AFP.

So far, the AFP Modernization under its Phase 1 had successfully implemented 93 projects worth $2.5 billion from 12 FA-50 fighter jets, 3 Hamilton Class Frigates, 15 AW-109 helicopters, 21 Aaeremachi Trainer Aircraft, 3 C-195 medium-lift transport aircraft, 4 C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, 21 refurbished UH-1H and many more.