Defense chief to meet with Rumsfeld in US

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz is leaving for the United States today to meet with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and explore areas of cooperation geared toward improving the country’s military capability.

Cruz said he would also be meeting with Admiral William Fallon, commander of the Honolulu-based US Pacific Command, to discuss mutual military and security concerns, including the progress of the five-year Philippine Defense Reform Program (PDR).

"The President (Arroyo) told me to discuss with Secretary Rumsfeld the great progress we are making in implementing the PDR and in our battalion upgrade program, which include re-manning, re-equipping and re-training 12 battalions," Cruz said.

"We will also discuss our new program to improve and strengthen the intelligence services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)," he said.

The defense chief disclosed that Rumsfeld is very much interested in the progress of the PDR and both of them would try to look for areas in the program that can further be improved or strengthened.

"We (the RP and US) have a common interest in fighting terrorism. To improve and strengthen the AFP’s counterterrorism and counter-insurgency capability is our common thrust," Cruz said.

The five-year PDR is on track and the US is providing expertise and advice, among other forms of assistance. Under the battalion upgrade program, for example, Cruz said the US is providing equipment, though he did not elaborate.

The PDR covers 10 areas of reform, including multi-year defense planning, training and personnel management systems, addressing operational systemic deficiencies, multi-year capability upgrades, defense acquisition systems, and information management, among other things.

"The overall direction of the PDR is to enhance the capabilities of the Department of Defense (DND) and AFP capabilities from a strategic and comprehensive perspective," he said, adding that the reforms are based on templates that have been tried and tested in several countries that undertook similar reform measures in the past.

Mrs. Arroyo also met with Singaporean Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean in Malacañang early yesterday. Cruz said they discussed the possibility of adopting the common border security system of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in its watch over the piracy-prone Malacca Straits.

He said three countries’ "eye in the sky" system could be used by the Philippines and its neighbors in watching the Sulawesi and Sulu Seas.

Cruz said they also agreed to strengthen intelligence exchange. — Paolo Romero