disaster relief and crisis management IS a mandate of the armed forces of the philippines, so a proposal by a congressman to supply our navy with the said equipment is not dumb at all. it is good to know some lawmakers are trying to beef up the AFP's capability to serve their constitutional purpose.
I disagree, roundly. While disaster relief and crisis management is
a mandate, it is the civilian sector that should take the lead in these things. To impose these on the armed forces is to hobble them from performing their main purpose, that of national defense. If they want a hospital ship and command center, they can take it up with the
civilian component such as the DILG, DOH, or even the PCG. If anything, the military assets should be a last resort when all civilian resources are maximized, even in peacetime conditions. And with the pork barrel budget that Congress receives, citizens have every right to expect that these funds should be used with disaster relief factored in. Otherwise, modernization is just a diversion.
To cite Hurrican Katrina, Fukushima, and other large disasters illustrates my point: The military was called in as a complement to the resolution of the crisis, not the lead, and only because the civilian infrastructure was maximized.
Congress shouldn't ever hold military procurement as a hostage to "dual purpose" articles.
