EDITORIAL - Investing in credibility

So what happened to the military modernization program? That question has resurfaced following the crash of a Huey helicopter that left nine people dead, including retired chief seismologist Raymundo Pu-nongbayan.

The indefatigable Punongbayan died while on yet another mission of disaster mitigation. As a member of the Philippine National Red Cross, he had flown to Nueva Ecija with other government scientists to assess landslide risks in a site where victims of flooding and landslides in Aurora are to be resettled. The Air Force UH-1H helicopter was on its way back when it crashed on Mt. Samat in Gabaldon town, killing all nine on board.

Yesterday the Philippine Air Force grounded its entire fleet of Hueys – all 40 of them, or is it 50? The figure probably depends on the airworthiness of the helicopters. The Vietnam War-vintage UH-1H is the workhorse of the PAF. Most of the PAF Hueys were obtained under the US military assistance program. PAF officials often point out that even old aircraft can be kept airworthy for a long time with regular maintenance. Yesterday PAF officials said the Huey that crashed had undergone maintenance for three months last year.

Proper maintenance, however, does not come cheap, especially for a military that is one of the most underfunded and poorly equipped in Asia. The Philippines’ military modernization program, modest compared with those of neighboring countries, sputtered and was eventually forgotten. These days the AFP must rely on mi-litary doleouts from the Americans and even the Thais and Chinese. Because of the neglect, Philippine troops cannot secure territorial waters and enforce claims on disputed islands. Their capabilities for rescue and relief operations are limited. And as the latest tragedy has shown, they cannot even fly a team of government scientists to a proposed resettlement site without risking disaster.

A nation needs a credible armed force not just to wage war on enemies of the state but also to defend territorial integrity and perform the numerous functions of the military during peacetime. Investing in that kind of military credibility, however, requires funds and political commitment – two things that are lacking in this weak republic.