DND gets House backing for its P258-billion 2020 budget
By CJ Juntereal
Published Aug 27, 2019 04:06 pm
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
Lawmakers, led by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano assured on Tuesday full support to the Department of National Defense's proposed P258-billion budget for 2020 to protect the country’s territorial integrity, and fight terrorism.
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano
(AP / Aaron Favila / MANILA BULLETIN) The assurance was made, as Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted that the Philippines only had “small capability” to react in any foreign intrusions in the West Philippine Sea. "Please be rest assured that the main question of Congress is what we can do in terms of legislation and budget to help you protect the territorial integrity of our country and help you protect us against the enemies of the state. I know the answer will come throughout the hearing, pero rest assured that if the Armed Forces of the Philippines is the backbone of our country in giving us safe and comfortable. Meron din po kayong backbone dito sa Kongreso na ito, sa 18th Congress,” House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said during the House Committee on Appropriations’s deliberation on the DND’s 2020 budget. Lorenzana told the panel that the country had limited, and “very weak” capacity to defend its territorial waters. "We have a very small capability to react to this intrusion. First, our territory sea was so vast that we have a very few equipment,” he said, after Anakalusugan partylist Rep. Michael “Mike” Defensor asked if the country had the capability to react to any case of intrusions in its waters. “If there will be intrusions in Philippine waters, are we capable to react in any intrusions in the Philippine Sea?,” Defensor asked. Lorenzana said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has “very weak capability” to defend the country’s territorial waters. “We lack Coast Guard assets and personnel in Sibutu and Bongao areas,” he noted. He noted the Philippine government was not informed by China that its four warships would pass through Sibutu Strait. "Ang nakapagtataka lang po doon sa Sibutu Strait ay daan nang daan ang mga barkong pandigma ng Tsina. Hindi man lang sila nagsasabi,” Lorenzana said, citing that the Chinese warships turned off their automatic identification system when passing through the country's waters. According to the defense chief, navies of other foreign countries, including those from the United States. New Zealand, Australian, United Kingdom, Japan and Russia have informed the government that they would pass through Philippine waters. Defensor also asked Lorenzana if the Anti-Terror Task Force was being regularly convened. Lorenzana responded in the affirmative, saying that they were flexing their muscles to address terror threats. Defensor said he would support any move to increase the intelligence funds of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Of the DND’s proposed P258 billion for 2020, P119.12 billion will go to personal services, P69.703 billion for pension, P28.831 billion for capital outlay and P40.701 billion for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano(AP / Aaron Favila / MANILA BULLETIN) The assurance was made, as Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted that the Philippines only had “small capability” to react in any foreign intrusions in the West Philippine Sea. "Please be rest assured that the main question of Congress is what we can do in terms of legislation and budget to help you protect the territorial integrity of our country and help you protect us against the enemies of the state. I know the answer will come throughout the hearing, pero rest assured that if the Armed Forces of the Philippines is the backbone of our country in giving us safe and comfortable. Meron din po kayong backbone dito sa Kongreso na ito, sa 18th Congress,” House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said during the House Committee on Appropriations’s deliberation on the DND’s 2020 budget. Lorenzana told the panel that the country had limited, and “very weak” capacity to defend its territorial waters. "We have a very small capability to react to this intrusion. First, our territory sea was so vast that we have a very few equipment,” he said, after Anakalusugan partylist Rep. Michael “Mike” Defensor asked if the country had the capability to react to any case of intrusions in its waters. “If there will be intrusions in Philippine waters, are we capable to react in any intrusions in the Philippine Sea?,” Defensor asked. Lorenzana said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has “very weak capability” to defend the country’s territorial waters. “We lack Coast Guard assets and personnel in Sibutu and Bongao areas,” he noted. He noted the Philippine government was not informed by China that its four warships would pass through Sibutu Strait. "Ang nakapagtataka lang po doon sa Sibutu Strait ay daan nang daan ang mga barkong pandigma ng Tsina. Hindi man lang sila nagsasabi,” Lorenzana said, citing that the Chinese warships turned off their automatic identification system when passing through the country's waters. According to the defense chief, navies of other foreign countries, including those from the United States. New Zealand, Australian, United Kingdom, Japan and Russia have informed the government that they would pass through Philippine waters. Defensor also asked Lorenzana if the Anti-Terror Task Force was being regularly convened. Lorenzana responded in the affirmative, saying that they were flexing their muscles to address terror threats. Defensor said he would support any move to increase the intelligence funds of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Of the DND’s proposed P258 billion for 2020, P119.12 billion will go to personal services, P69.703 billion for pension, P28.831 billion for capital outlay and P40.701 billion for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).