The United States could invest up to 30 million U.S. dollars a year over the next 10 years to help reform the Philippine military, Philippine media reported on Friday.
The United States has committed to provide assistance in implementing reforms in three forms, including funding, technical expertise and field experience, Philippine ABS-CBN TV reported, citing Philippine Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina, who is in Washington to meet top Pentagon officials.
The United States has committed to match the funds allocated by the (AFP), which currently stands at 2 billion pesos a year or about 30 million dollars, Carolina added.
Carolina, however, said that nothing is final yet but he assured that the Philippines' Department of Defense (DND) has a reform program that aims to improve the quality as well as capabilities of the AFP.
He said the DND reform program is separate from military modernization.
Carolina said part of the financial aid will help the AFP push a "softer approach" to counter insurgency, addressing in part concerns over excesses in combat operations.
The planned financial assistance from the U.S. government came amid the proposal of the U.S. State Department to reduce military aid to the Philippines next year and calls from some members of the U.S. Congress to hold the Philippine military accountable for human rights abuses.
A top level AFP team will arrive later this month to deliver a "shopping list" of weapons to the Pentagon, the report added.
Source: Xinhua
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