MANILA, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the military to cut the deal of buying 16 brand new Bell 412 helicopters from Canada for too much impositions.
"I am directing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) not to buy anymore (military equipment) from Canada or from the United States because there is always a condition attached," Duterte said in a news conference in Davao City.
"I want to tell the armed forces to cut the deal, and somehow we will look for another supplier," Duterte said.
Duterte said that he cannot guarantee that the helicopters will not be used in combat operations in the future. "Invariably (these helicopters) will be used against the rebels and terrorists."
Duterte ordered to scrap the 233-million-dollar deal after Canada ordered a review of the deal and expressed concern the helicopters might be used to fight the rebels. But Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana clarified on Thursday that the helicopters made by Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, will be used for humanitarian operations.
The Bell Helicopter said the 16 Bell 412EPI helicopters, fully configured and equipped with advanced features, are being acquired as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization plans, and were purchased by the Philippine defense department through a government-to-government contract with the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC).
The helicopters are scheduled to be delivered to the Philippines starting the first quarter of next year.
In 2014, the Philippines also bought eight Bell 412 helicopters from Bell Helicopter.
