After getting much hyped during the previous administration, it might take a while before the Department of National Defense (DND) acquires a submarine.

DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong announced Wednesday, Oct. 19, that the acquisition of the country’s first ever submarine “is actually not yet a priority” under the leadership of DND Officer in Charge Jose Faustino Jr. due to budget constraints.

Andolong said the department is recalibrating its proposed projects under the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with the limited resources that they have.

“Although submarines are in our wish list for Horizon 3, the Department is prioritizing the implementation of contracts signed during the previous administration, cognizant of the limitations in the resources available for the government,” Andolong said.

“he procurement of submarines is actually not yet a priority for the Department as of now,” he added.

Under the previous Duterte administration, the DND had set its sight on the procurement of “more sophisticated assets” as part of the third horizon of the revised AFP modernization program, including submarines and fighter planes. The third horizon will start in 2023 but the second horizon, which is slated from 2018 to 2022, is yet to be completed.

The acquisition of submarines will be a game-changer for the AFP as it is expected to provide a more credible maritime defense capability for the Philippine Navy. Submarines can effectively carry out maritime surveillance, maritime interdiction; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. It can also deter the intrusion of foreign ships into the country’s waters.

In a speech in Mati, Davao Oriental last Oct. 14, Faustino said that among the big-ticket projects that the Philippine Navy is pursuing under the third horizon is the acquisition of two submarines reportedly worth P70 billion.

But Andolong said the Navy’s wish list will have to be approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose battlecry in defending the country’s maritime territory is to never cede even a square inch to any nation.

“Ang mahal ng submarine eh, kapag binili natin ‘yun ubos agad ang budget natin. We only get P20 billion to P25 billion a year eh lagpas doon ‘yong presyo ng submarines pati ang multi-role fighters (Submarine is very expensive so if we buy it, nothing will remain in our budget. We only get P20 billion to P25 billion a year and the price of submarines is over that amount as well as the multi-role fighters),” Andolong said.

Among the interested suppliers in selling submarines to the DND is France, Andolong confirmed.

However, the Defense spokesperson clarified that there is no truth to reports saying that there was an offer from France to sell submarines to the DND in exchange for allowing them to explore the Philippines’ waters.

“We do have a 2016 arrangement with France on defense cooperation, and in the course of the Department’s engagements with representatives from France, there was never a mention or discussion of such a proposal,” Andolong said.