Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa is pushing for the restoration of the P10 billion cut introduced by the House of Representatives to the P50-billion budget for the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program for next year.
Dela Rosa made this appeal at the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget bill, noting that the budget reduction to the modernization program is contrary to the pronouncements of politicians who appeared to be supportive of the AFP whenever they were being harmed while protecting the country's territories, particularly the West Philippine Sea.
Comparing the National Expenditure Program (NEP) and the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) approved by the Lower House, Dela Rosa lamented that the House of Representatives has reduced the Executive Department's proposed P50 billion for the Revised AFP Modernization Program to P40 billion. The changes made by the lower house was adopted by the Senate finance committee in its committee report on the budget bill.
"Being a former member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a former member of the Philippine National Police, and now a senator of the Republic, I cannot help but point out a glaring contradiction na nakikita ko. Kasi every time may mangyaring hindi maganda during our resupply missions to the Ayungin Shoal (Because every time something unfortunate happens during our resupply missions in Ayungin Shoal)...our immediate reaction is like this: 'We condemn in the highest terms this incident, and we have to see to it that we have to modernize our Philippine Navy,'" Dela Rosa said.
"Iyon palagi ang linya nating masasabi as politicians, as legislators. And now, here comes the budget deliberations, binawasan pa ng P10 billion iyong NEP ng Department of National Defense... Sana coordinated palagi or synchronized iyong sinasabi natin as politicians at iyong ginagawa natin as legislators who have the power of the purse (That's always our line as politicians, as legislators. And now, here comes the budget deliberations, the NEP of the Department of National Defense was reduced by P10 billion... Hopefully, what we say as politicians and what we do as legislators who have the power of the purse are always coordinated or synchronized)," he added.
The former PNP chief stressed that our country's first line of defense should not always resort to avoiding confrontation or exercising escape and evasion whenever they are faced by those who intend to harm them.
He then appealed to restore the budget cut introduced by the House of Representatives to boost the morale of the country's troops.
"I am talking about the morale of our people in the field...Baka puwedeng kahit paano maibalik natin iyong ibang halaga roon (Perhaps we can somehow restore some of the amount) just to make our soldiers, our sailors feel good that their government is after their welfare...at hindi hanggang lip service lamang tayo [na] iba ang sinasabi, pagdating sa budget deliberation, iba ang ginagawa. So, para natin silang ina-underhand (and not just lip service where we say one thing, but when it comes to budget deliberation, we do another. It's like we're undermining them)," Dela Rosa said, noting that our soldiers are willing to die for the Philippines.
"Hindi natin bini-blame ang gobyerno natin, hirap tayo sa pera (We are not blaming the government, there's financial difficulties). Pero kung maramdaman ko (But if I would feel) being a soldier, being a sailor na iba pala iyong priority ng gobyerno natin, pina-priority pa iyong pamimigay ng AKAP...tapos binawasan pa ng Lower House ng P10 billion, iba rin ang magiging reaksiyon (our government is prioritizing something else, like AKAP...then the Lower House would reduce it by P10 billion, it would create a different reaction), as far as morale is concerned," he emphasized.
Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Grace Poe committed to look into Dela Rosa's appeal and said that she is willing to consider the proposal.