MANILA – The government is prioritizing making the country self-sufficient in defense capabilities rather than solely depending on its allied nations, Malacañang said.
Atty. Claire Castro, undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), emphasized that the nation must be ready to protect itself irrespective of its partnerships.
Castro’s comments came amid reports of the United States (US) cutting its military assistance to Ukraine.
“May ally tayo o wala, kailangan po nating i-prepare iyong sarili natin,” Castro said in a media briefing in Malacañang.
She added: “Iyong AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] modernization ay talagang kailangan po natin para hindi naman tayo masyadong umaasa sa ating mga allies.”
The AFP Modernization Program consists of three distinct “Horizons”. Horizon 1 was planned for the period from 2013 to 2017, while Horizon 2 spanned from 2018 to 2022. Horizon 3 was originally set to start in 2023 until 2028.
The acquisition list for Horizon 3, however, underwent a significant revision, resulting in the establishment of Re-Horizon 3, which received approval in January 2024 and is projected to extend over 10 years./PN
