Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada has urged lawmakers to ensure there is sufficient funds to address possible mass casualty events involving chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear incidents (CBRN) and countering operations that utilizes weapons of mass destruction.
Estrada noted there is lack of appropriation for such in the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 during the Senate’s deliberation on the proposed P265.98-billion budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) for 2025.
The senator said it is imperative to ensure that the country’s first responders are ready and capable to handle such incident of a chemical attack.
Estrada said failure to ensure funding for CBRN incidents could render Senate Bill No. 2871, or the proposed Chemical Weapons Prohibition Act, which he filed last November 6, futile.
The bill primarily seeks to outlaw activities related to the use and manufacture of chemical weapons. Senate Bill 2871 particularly defines offenses, sets penalties, and outlines enforcement procedures related to the chemical industry is obligated under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
“Kasi kung hindi natin popondohan ito, balewala itong batas na ipinapanukala natin. If this will not be funded, the bill which I already sponsored on the floor, mababalewala ito. I just hope and pray na wala naman mangyayaring ganito sa ating bansa today and in the near future (Because if we don't fund it, this law that we are proposing would be pointless. If this will not be funded, the bill which I already sponsored on the floor, will just be futile. I just hope and pray that nothing like this will happen in our country today and in the near future),” he said.
During the budget deliberations, Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who was defending the DND’s budget recalled the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack where members of the cult Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas, a highly toxic nerve agent, inside subway trains during rush hour.
Thirteen (13) people died and thousand others were injured from temporary vision problems and paralysis.
Estrada argued that in the three decades since the Philippines became signatory to the CWC, it has yet to fulfill its obligation to the treaty designed to eliminate chemical weapons.
“This Senate concurred in the ratification of the CWC but we have not approved the national legislation needed to fully implement the provisions of this important international treaty,” he said.
Upgrade V. Luna General Hospital
Also during the discussion on the DND budget, Estrada urged lawmakers to ensure a sufficient funding for the upgrading of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Medical Center, popularly known as V. Luna General Hospital, to ensure the provision of comprehensive tertiary health care services to active duty soldiers.
The lawmaker noted that the facility is still inadequately equipped even if 75 percent of its estimated annual income of P100-million is allocated for its operations and additional medical equipment.
Estrada said he is willing to propose amendments to secure additional funding for V. Luna Hospital.