Talks for Navy's transfer to Camp Aguinaldo start

The Philippine Navy may lose its headquarters along Roxas Boulevard in Manila soon following the Aquino administration’s plan to lease the property to foreign investors. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said in an ambush interview Thursday that he is meeting Acting Flag Office in Command Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez on Friday to discuss and evaluate the proposal to relocate the Philippine military’s naval arm. “We’re going to meet to talk about the process involved so we can properly evaluate this as one of the first (priority) projects and we commit to finish this within six months," he said. President Benigno Aquino III said in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday that private foreign groups have expressed interest to rent the Navy property along Roxas Boulevard. Both Purisima and presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda declined to name the interested parties. Purisima, however, assured the Navy that they and all other concerned stakeholders will be consulted before the plan is finalized. He added there has been no opposition so far from the Philippine Navy about the plan. Lacierda, for his part, said the Department of Justice is studying the legal implications of leasing the property and transferring the Navy to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City should the deal pushes through. “These legal implications will be looked at and addressed before executing whatever deal they may come up with," Lacierda said. – JA/KBK, GMANews.TV