Thursday, April 12, 2007

South Korea Donates Trucks, Bulldozers to Philippine Military

(ABS-CBN) - South Korea has turned over 134 trucks and bulldozers to the poorly equipped Philippine military, highlighting close defense ties between the two countries.

The 127 cargo and dump trucks and seven bulldozers were provided to the Philippines as a grant with Manila paying "token" transport costs of about $72,000, said Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.

In a ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Esperon told South Korean ambassador Jong Ki Hong that "relations between the two nations defense establishments and armed forces have grown stronger."

The Philippines was one of the nations that provided troops to defend South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean war.

The Philippine military is still battling communist insurgents and Muslim extremists in the hinterlands. AFP

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