Increased night fighting and patrol capabilities, together with modern warfare equipment, will again be denied the country’s national defense despite the P209.1 billion proposed allocation for the Department of National Defense (DND) next year.
Administration lawmakers said this is just one of the apprehensions of defense officials led by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who presented on Tuesday the proposed 2021 budget for the military.
“The current and emerging challenges that the Philippines and the Defense Establishment face require more than the P 209.1 Billion currently provided in the General Appropriations Bill,” said Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon, vice chairman of the House Committee on National Defense.
On the other hand, Sultan Kudarat Rep. Horacio Suansing Jr. appealed to the Lower House to be more open in granting the DND additional allocation to beef up the country’s defense capabilities.
Suansing said some P2.6 billion in night fighting equipment and P6.4 billion for the cyber battalion are urgently needed in addressing terrorism and insurgency threats to national security.
Lorenzana disclosed that the DND has ordered “night capable” 16 Black Hawk choppers for the Philippine Air Force.
He agreed with Biazon and Suansing’s position that the current allocation may not be enough for the DND to further reinforce the military’s fighting equipment.
Biazon called on the House leadership to address the budgetary concerns of the DND by passing bills providing the DND additional sources of funding outside the General Appropriations Act in order to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
One proposal, House Bill No. 699, seeks to amend the Bases Conversion Development Law to increase the share of the AFP for its modernization program from the current 35% to 55%.
Biazon explained that based on the average remittance of P15 billion of the BCDA in the first three years of the Duterte Administration, additional P3 billion may be raised once the bill is enacted.
“The bill also expands the coverage of the properties where the AFP could benefit from, since the current law only provides for the AFP Modernization proceeds from the sale of military camps within Metro Manila. There are more military properties in other parts of the country,” he said.
Biazon also batted for the approval of House Bill No. 555 that provides for the creation of the Military Real Estate Development Authority, which would enable the AFP to manage its properties and maximize the benefit of the use of those properties.
“In this proposal, the AFP could retain ownership of the properties for its strategic purposes while earning from its commercial potential, unlike the present regime where the AFP loses real estate and yet not receive the full benefits,” the senior administration lawmaker said.