09 Februari 2018

Canada Orders Review of Deal to Sell Helicopters to Philippines

09 Februari 2018


Bell 412 helicopter (photo : wiki)

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Just one day after signing a $233 million agreement to sell 16 helicopters to the Philippines, the Canadian government on Wednesday ordered a review of the deal amid concerns the aircraft could be used to fight rebels.

Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that the deal - formally signed on Tuesday - had been struck in 2012 on the understanding the helicopters would be used for search-and-rescue missions.

Philippine Major-General Restituto Padilla, military chief of plans, told Reuters on Tuesday the helicopters would be used for the military’s internal security operations, adding they could also be deployed in search-and-rescue and disaster relief operations.

“When we saw that declaration ... we immediately launched a review with the relevant authorities. And we will obviously review the facts and take the right decision,” Champagne told reporters, without giving more details.

The Bell 412EPI helicopters were due be delivered early next year as the Philippine military prepares to step up operations against Islamist and communist rebels.

Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana initially expressed bemusement at news of Canada reviewing the deal.

Clear Regulations

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asked later whether he was concerned the helicopters might be used against Filipino citizens, replied “Absolutely.”

Canada has very clear regulations about to whom it can sell weapons and how they can be used, he said during a question and answer event at the University of Chicago.

“We are going to make sure before this deal or any other deal goes through that we are abiding by the rules ... that Canadian governments have to follow,” he said.

In November, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte publicly criticized Trudeau at a regional summit in Manila for raising questions about his war on drugs, calling it an “official insult”, adding that he “would not answer to any other bullshit, especially (from) foreigners”.

Nearly 4,000 Filipinos have been killed by police in the campaign since June 2016. Human rights groups accuse police of carrying out illegal killings, staging crime scenes and falsifying reports, a charge they deny.

“Human rights is a key element of our foreign policy and of our trade policy,” said Champagne.

In 2016, the Liberal government was criticized for deciding to honor a contract to sell light armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia, despite human rights concerns. Like the helicopter contract, the deal had been arranged by Canada’s former Conservative administration.

Philippine defense ministry spokesman, Arsenio Andolong, said it was “unfair to equate internal security operations in general with human rights violations” or to cast judgment on the military when allegations were unverified.

He did not specify what the allegations or violations were, or who had made them.

(Reuters)

9 komentar:

  1. Ini lah ribetnya kalo beli dari western..

    Syarat dan ketentuannya berlaku banget..

    Jadi alasan politis beli peralatan militer betul2 harus dikaji sebelum diputuskan..

    Itu ke Philipina, gimana ke indonesia???

    BalasHapus
  2. Nahh kaan ?
    Pasti misalpun jadi beli akan diembargo bila dipakai menumpas gerakan teroris di negeri yg beli.. makanya bikin repot, padahal Philipina justru sedang on fire melawan teroris sekaligus pengedar narkoba dan itu butuh heli serbu seperti ini.

    Terbukti kemandirian membuat alutsista adalah keharusan kalau tidak mau menjadi negara yang didikte pihak luar.

    Hmm.... any chance ganti order ke Rusia atau PT DI kah ? :-)

    BalasHapus
    Balasan
    1. Emang PT.DI jualan heli apaan mas? :D

      Hapus
    2. Dimari rakit 412EP, dipasangin SMB/Gatling gun, sepi-sepi aja tuh..hihihi.

      Bersyukur, HAM dimari lebih baik dibanding Pinoy.

      :D

      Hapus
    3. Keliru komen mas... arep komen malah nyampur2 kepikiran CN235 ambe Heli Bell hahahahahahaha

      Hapus
  3. kalo kita jual garmen keluar negeri, bole gak kita cantumin pasal "KDRT" ke bule2 ituw, soalnya kita gak mao donk ituw bule mlakukan "KDRT" pake produk kita haha!🙄🙄🙄

    BalasHapus
    Balasan
    1. Hahaha...gimana ceritanya bule2 itu KDRT sama produk2 kita om

      Hapus
    2. bisa aja kan om pit, bule2 itu pas KDRT, nyelefet pasangannya pake kaen, baju, kaos,clana ampe semp*k yg made in kite, cetarrrr..cettuut...haha!😀😀😀

      bahayaaa khaann, dibanding heli haha!😂😂😂

      Hapus
  4. seems like they only follow their own rules=spontaneous rules. how come they have suddenly spoken about the npa's?

    BalasHapus