Don’t tie aid to availability, Tito tells US

Vice President Teofisto Guingona said yesterday US military aid must be based on the needs of the Armed Forces modernization program, and not on the availability of American military surplus.

"I believe that we should learn from the past experience because this matter is covered by the mutual defense pact, and many times in the past, (the delivery of) what we asked for is delayed," he said.

"(The surplus materials) are oftentimes different from what we wanted, and because of the delays, they are no longer useful (to the Armed Forces)," he said.

Guingona said the government should "not count too much" on the promise of US President George W. Bush to promptly deliver the needed military assistance for the modernization of the Armed Forces.

Guingona, who served as foreign affairs secretary, said the Philippines and the US should hold more bilateral talks on how the Armed Forces should receive military assistance.

The US has released a total of $808.2 million in assistance to the Philippines this year, including $114.46 million in military aid, the US Embassy said.

In his speech Saturday before a joint session of Congress, Bush promised to pour money for the modernization of the Armed Forces so Filipino soldiers could fight local and international terrorists.

Meanwhile, Guingona said he was dismayed by the action of "some overzealous government personnel" who ordered the demolition of squatter shanties near the House of Representatives in Quezon City.

"I condemn this kind of behavior," he said.

"I don’t think it is proper that just because we are welcoming a visitor... we must sacrifice the rights of people by destroying their homes, bulldozing their shanties even if we gave them an allowance of P10,000 per family.

"That is deception. We are ashamed of the fact that we are poor. There is nothing wrong in being poor so long as one is honest. I regret that this was done," Guingona said.— Sammy Santos