Philippines capability to stop ship intrusions ‘very weak’ – DND

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has a “very weak” capability to protect its territory from intrusions, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted yesterday as he appealed to Congress for a bigger budget for his department in 2020.

At the hearing of the House appropriations committee on the proposed P188.65-billion regular budget for the Department of National Defense, Lorenzana stressed the need to strengthen the DND’s defense programs.

“Currently, we have a very small capability to respond to intrusions because our territorial sea is so vast and we have limited equipment and resources,” he told lawmakers as he gave assurance that the military is patrolling the country’s territorial seas and exclusive economic zones despite the limitations.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who attended the committee hearing, committed that the House would support the DND’s funding needs.

“Please 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 enemies of the state,” he told Lorenzana.

“If the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is the backbone of our country in keeping us safe and comfortable, you also have a backbone here in the 18th Congress.”

The DND is seeking a P5-billion increase from its regular budget for this year of P183.9 billion, in addition to the P69.7-billion fund for veterans and pensioners under the government’s pension and gratuity fund.

The bulk of the proposed DND budget, 97.2 percent or P183.3 billion, will go to the AFP, Lorenzana said. Of that amount, the Philippine Army will be allocated P91.513 billion; the Philippine Navy, P25.936 billion; Philippine Air Force, P29.026 billion; and general headquarters, P36.830 billion.

He revealed that the operations of the AFP next year would cost P171.12 billion, of which P84.6 billion will be given to the land force, P25.35 billion to naval force, P24.14 billion to air force and P28.09 billion to joint force capability.

Lorenzana also said that P17.53 billion would be allocated to general administration and support and P1.654 billion to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. The fund for personnel services would also increase from P115.879 billion this year to P119.118 billion next year to cover for adjustment in pay and allowances of military personnel and increase in civilian personnel.

Lorenzana added that the maintenance and operating expenses also increased from P39.25 billion in 2019 to P40.70 billion in 2020, while capital outlay decreased from P31.09 billion to P28.83 billion.

In the capital outlay, he said P974 million will go to mobility requirements, P787 million to support construction and enhancement of base and base support facilities, P578.76 million for expansion of existing programs, P234 million for sustainment of units, P96.9 million for hardware requirements, P70.23 million for additional troops and P74 million for procurement of production equipment and government arsenal.

Lorenzana also asked Congress for an additional P6.3 billion to fund priority projects next year, including the operationalization of the 11th Infantry Division or “alakdan” in Mindanao, development of the Col. Ernesto Rabina Airbase in Tarlac and rehabilitation of the Capt. Salvo Pier in Cavite.

Asked by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez for his position on the continuous intrusion of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, he said he believes it is now time to invoke the arbitral award won by the Philippines against China from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.

He revealed that the naval forces of other countries like the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia and the UK pass through territorial waters of the country, particularly through Sibutu Strait, which is within the international naval highway, but inform the AFP of their passage.

“But the Chinese, they don’t notify us when they pass through Sibutu Strait and they turn off their identification system,” the official lamented.

He revealed that a Chinese vessel recently sought shelter in Benham Rise and informed the government.

“It only sought shelter due to bad weather but it also left immediately,” he bared.

Lorenzana earlier questioned China’s repeated unannounced presence of its warships in Philippine waters.

He said the government should ask the Chinese embassy about the recent presence of Chinese oceanographic survey ships Zhang Jian and Dong Fans Hong 3 in the waters of Samar and Ilocos Norte.