Philippine senators yesterday began a public inquiry into the US$300 million purchase of two navy frigates to determine whether Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s closest aide had interfered in the procurement process.
The inquiry was prompted by media reports that carried a leaked document with an annotation that links the Philippine president’s long-time special assistant, Christopher “Bong” Go, to the process of procuring a combat management system for the frigates from South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The hearing called by the Senate committee on national defense and security is looking to establish whether Go had gone beyond his remit by getting involved in a defense contract. He has not been accused of corruption.
Go denies any wrongdoing and read a statement critical of the media, calling it “fake news.”
He said he was simply passing on to the defense department a “complaint” the Office of the President had received.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and news site Rappler last month carried leaked copies of a white paper originating from the Philippine president’s office and asking the navy to look at a proposal by a South Korean subcontractor, Hanwha Land Systems, to supply the weapons system.
Philippine Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana has confirmed that he added an annotation to that document telling the navy chief to look at the proposal and that the document had been given to him by Go.
However, Lorenzana yesterday told the inquiry that he could not be certain who gave it to him.
Sandra Han, a representative for Hyundai Heavy Industries, attended the hearing, but was not asked about whether Go was involved.
Go said his office had merely endorsed what he said was a complaint from Hanwha.
He did not specify what the complaint was about.
“We are being castigated for endorsing a complaint in [to] the proper agency. A mere notary endorsement, which is one of the thousands of complaints we endorse,” he said, adding that it was Duterte’s agenda to be open to receive complaints about state officials.
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