COA: AFP's P592-million night vision gear useless

MANILA, Philippines – Night vision gear and equipment worth more than P592 million to improve the night fighting capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) cannot be used in the absence of a night vision monocular, according to a report of the Commission on Audit.

Based on the COA report, the bidding for the monocular was “not completed due to some legal problems.”

The monocular is a vital part of the night vision gear of the military that includes an infrared and laser-zeroing device, without which the high tech equipment becomes useless.

“The Philippine Army night fighting system equipment composed of the infrared aiming device and laser zeroing device could not be utilized due to the absence of the night vision monocular, a component to make the system operational,” the COA report stated.

State auditors noted the purchase of the infrared laser equipment without required night vision monocular to support the gear defeats the purpose of enabling soldiers to fight the enemy in combat at night.

The system is composed of the night vision monocular and the infrared aiming light devices, which “cannot be utilized without the other.”

Though both were approved under a budget worth P592, 974,705.88, only the infrared aiming light devices underwent a completed bidding process.

“Management informed that the acquisition of the equipment was likewise originally intended to be procured as a single lot but was divided into two lots to allow more proponents to bid for the project since study indicates that only limited number of proponents can supply the whole system,” the report said.

On Sept. 7 last year, the infrared aiming device and the laser-zeroing device with total cost of P55,376,700 were delivered.

According to the COA report, the AFP had claimed the purchase of the monocular device is already being done with the winning proponent and now undergoing post qualification test.

“We are concerned that the government cannot avail of the two year warranty period for possible repairs for defects during the period of warranty since this will not be fully operational until the night vision monocular has been acquired, thus posing additional unnecessary expenditure to the government,” the report said.