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| BRP Gregorio Del Pilar |
MANILA, Aug. 23 (PNA) -- Following is the press statement of Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on the arrival of BRP Gregorio Del Pilar:
"The acquisition of BRP Gregorio Del Pilar represents a significant step forward in our efforts to improve our Navy’s capacity to patrol and secure our waters. As the President said in his State of the Nation Address, the resources within our territory belong to Filipinos, and the modernization of our armed forces is part of measures to ensure that our people are protected, our security is augmented and our sovereignty is respected.
As shown by the young general after whom our new ship is named, the patriotism, selflessness and bravery of the Filipino soldier is second to none. However, due to our country's limited resources, our armed forces have had to fight for the security of our country with inadequate weapons and equipment.
The Cabinet Cluster on Security, which I chair, is currently spearheading reforms in our armed forces that seek to address this concern. Under the stewardship of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, the Department of National Defense will ensure that the financial resources allotted for the military will be used wisely and judiciously and will go where they are intended to go: better weapons and modern equipment for our men and women in uniform."