SEN. Francis Escudero advised the Philippine Navy to “shelve its plan” to buy submarines and instead prioritize buying boats “for disaster and relief.”
The senator suggested that will “aid people and towns hit by typhoons, which are getting frequent and stronger.” But, he stressed, “The reality is we cannot realize our submarine dreams if what we have is a ‘salbabida’ budget.” But in so far as the planned purchase of two diesel-electric attack submarines for a total price tag of P70 billion, “I think this should be shelved at the moment,” he said, adding, “And to their credit, the Navy Command said the purchase can wait.”