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The Philippines' Ambassador to the United States (US) Jose Manuel Romualdez told the Philippine Press recently that Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has already given the US a List of Equipment that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) needs, which includes F-16 Fighting Falcon Aircraft.
The Ambassador then implied that the US will likely give at least some of these Equipment that are in the List. However, at the same time, he also admitted there will be some “Strings Attached” or Conditions for the Transfer of these Equipment, and that will come in the Form of the Philippines agreeing to continue to implement the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Amb. Romualdez said, “There is no such Thing as a Free Lunch, our Relationship with America is of course the Exchange of… EDCA and VFA”. Given the very low Military Aid that the Philippines got from the latest Aid Package of the US, it is likely that we will receive secondhand F-16 Aircraft from the US, if indeed they will provide them to us.
Now I am not going to argue anymore if it is fair to get secondhand Equipment in exchange for nine Military Bases in the Philippines which, by the way, will likely be used first and foremost, to defend Taiwan and not necessarily our Country.
But I think that to be fair, as I mentioned before, the Philippines should at the very least get the same or better Package for the F-16s as what Argentina got which the West heavily subsidized.
This means that:
- First, at least two dozen should be sold to us, if they will not be given;
- If sold to us, then they should cost no more than Usd 12.5 million per Unit;
- They should come with Targeting Pods;
- And they should also come with AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and AIM-9 Sidewinder Missiles.
If the Philippines gets less than this, then it is again just another sign of how the US is again shortchanging the Philippines despite it being utterly subservient to them, especially lately under this Administration of President Bong Bong Marcos (PBBM).
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| Amb. Romualdez confirms F-16s for the Philippines from the US will be in exchange for EDCA, VFA |
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