Philippines to acquire helicopters, trucks in bid to modernize military

The Philippine's defense chief says the government has signed separate contracts worth 163 billion pesos (about $39 million) with Italian and South Korean companies to supply helicopters and trucks as part of efforts to modernize its poorly equipped military.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Thursday the Philippines will purchase three multi-purpose AW 109 helicopters for its navy from AugustaWestland SPA of Italy amounting to 1.33 billion pesos ($32 million).

He says Kia Motors Corp. will supply 60 field ambulances and 12 trucks all worth 300.78 million ($7.33 million) pesos.

Gazmin says the purchases show the country's "louder and clearer" intent to modernize its military.

The Philippine military is fighting a decades-long communist insurgency and battling Islamic militants while facing increasing tension over territorial disputes with China in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea).

Posted in Washington Post, Copyright 2012 The Associated Press (http://is.gd/fY9RJY)

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635 Foreigners; 390 Taiwanese, 137 Chinese, 32 Skoreans, 25 Americans Deported from the Philippines

As reported by Focus Taiwan News channel , 390 Taiwanese suspects deported from Philippines in 2012.

A total of 635 foreigners -- including 390 Taiwanese -- who were suspected of criminal acts were deported from the Philippines this year, according to a year-end report released by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration Wednesday.

The deportees were more than four times the number recorded in 2011, the report said.

Apart from Taiwanese, the deported criminal suspects include 137 Chinese nationals, 32 South Koreans and 25 Americans, the report said.

Immigration bureau chief Ricardo David said the deported foreigners were suspected of breaking the law, such as residing without effective permits, entering the Philippines without visas, forging IDs, involvement in illegal gambling, conducting scams or selling drugs.

The Taiwanese and Chinese deportees were mostly arrested on charges of conducting telecommunication scams, David Said (http://is.gd/JPHWNV)

 

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