Philippines proposes record defense budget
July 21, 2015
The proposed 25-percent hike in the defense budget will be used to purchase navy frigates, surveillance planes, radars and patrol craft, officials said Tuesday.
"This budget will allow us more latitude in acquiring new assets…we are pushing hard on modernization and we will need all the help we can get," defense department spokesman Arsenio Andolong said.
The 25 billion pesos ($552 million; 510 million euros) in defense funds are part of President Benigno Aquino's 2016 3-trillion-peso national budget, which will be submitted to parliament for approval early next week.
The Southeast Asian country's armed forces are one of the most poorly equipped in the region, often relying on half-century old ships and aircraft to monitor the South China Sea. In a bid to bolster Philippine capabilities, President Aquino approved a five-year plan to modernize the military in 2013.
Contested sea
Most of the South China Sea is claimed by China, and its efforts to reinforce its control over the contested waters have ignited tensions in the region, particularly with the Philippines and Vietnam.
"We need to protect what is clearly within our territorial jurisdiction," Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said.
"Certainly, we need to at least be able to effectively monitor the developments in the area, particularly those in disputed zones," he added.
Beijing's increased investment in its military has also worried its neighbors. China's defense spending amounted to $142.9 billion this year, dwarfing the Philippine budget.
A senior Philippine military general told Reuters that the 2016 funds would be used to acquire two navy frigates, two twin-engine long range patrol aircraft and three aerial surveillance radars. The rest of the money will be used to make annual payments for 12 fighter jets ordered from South Korea. Two of those planes are due to be delivered later in the year.
nm/kms (Reuters, AFP)