REAR Admiral Robert Empedrad, whose name was dragged into the controversial acquisition of a frigate, was appointed as the new flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy, Malacañang announced Thursday.
The former Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief of staff for Retirees and Reservists Affairs’ appointment was released on Jan. 16 but was made public only on Jan. 18 and signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday dismissed a proposition by a lawmaker to abrogate the consummated P18-billion contract to acquire a modern frigate for the Philippine Navy.
Lorenzana was reacting to Rep. Gary Alejano’s suggestion that the frigate procurement project be terminated because it was allegedly anomalous.
He said the frigate project for the Navy could not just be scrapped in the absence of questionable conditions in the transaction.
“There is a proper process prescribed in Republic Act 9184 and there are specific conditions that must be present in order to invoke it, none of which are existing at the moment,” Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana endorsed Empedrad as Philippine Navy Chief effective Dec. 17, 2017.
Empedrad’s appointment came amid a controversy involving the Philippine Navy’s P15.7-billion Combat Management System procurement plan for its two missile frigates.
But Malacañang said Empedrad had nothing to do with the procurement that was made during the Aquino administration.
In December 2017, former Philippine Navy flag officer in command Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado was sacked because of “insubordination.”
Earlier, Lorenzana said Mercado was relieved from his post for “jeopardizing” the frigate acquisition project. Both Mercado and Empedrad worked with the technical working group handling the procurement deal since the Aquino administration.