Congress okays P45B for AFP modernization

Congress has earmarked P45 billion for the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program — a P6-billion increase from last year, according to Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel.

“In all, there’s P45 billion for the AFPMP in the 2023 national budget — P27.5 billion in programmed appropriations plus P17.5 billion in unprogrammed appropriations,” Pimentel said on Monday.

The Department of Budget and Management had originally sought only P40 billion.

“We are confident the government will find the money needed to finance this year’s unprogrammed appropriations for the AFPMP,” Pimentel said.

He explained that Congress’ support for the AFPMP was motivated not only by the requirements of the law but also by reports of the persistent swarming of Chinese vessels around Pag-Asa Island —the largest Philippine-occupied landmass in the disputed Spratly archipelago’s northeastern section.

‘We are confident the government will find the money needed to finance this year’s unprogrammed appropriations for the AFPMP.’

A former chairperson of the House strategic intelligence committee and a strong backer of the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States, Pimentel authored House Bill 1782 which seeks to appropriate P5 billion for the installation of new naval forward operating bases to secure the West Philippine Sea’s gas and oil deposits.

Last month, Pimentel introduced HB 6228 which seeks to declare Pag-Asa as a leisure fishing tourism site to encourage the installation of additional Philippine structures on the 37.2-hectare island.

During the last seven months of then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, the DND signed P109 billion worth of acquisition contracts for the AFPMP, including P28 billion for two anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-aircraft corvettes from South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.; P18.9 billion for three shore-based supersonic ramjet missile batteries from India’s BrahMos Aerospace; P32 billion for 32 Black Hawk helicopters from Poland’s PZL Mielec; and P30 billion for six long-range offshore patrol vessels, also from Hyundai.