The Department of National Defense (DND) needs to develop a “less costly but effective” program to address external threats as the Philippines faces a glaring disparity in defense spending with regional peers like China, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Monday.

Lacson also urged DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to look into a possible link between sleeper agents and the potential misuse of the late birth registration system.

In Filipino: Lacson sa DND: ‘Mag-improvise’ para Matugunan ang Malaking Agwat sa Gastusing Pandepensa ng Pilipinas at Tsina

“There seems to be a glaring disparity in our defense spending compared to our regional peers, particularly China. Ang kanilang defense expenditure is 52 times ng Pilipinas. Sa kanila, US$335 billion or P21 trillion. So how do we compensate, how do we do a David against a Goliath in this regard? Kasi wala tayong magagawa except mag-improvise (There seems to be a glaring disparity in our defense spending compared to our regional peers, particularly China. Their defense expenditure is 52 times that of ours – about $335 billion or P21 trillion. How do we compensate? How do we do a David against a Goliath in this regard? There is no choice for us but to improvise),” he said in his interjection during the Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the DND’s proposed budget for 2027.

The DND’s proposed budget for 2027 under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) is P324.632 billion, including P312.777 billion for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Lacson noted that the Philippines, with its limited resources, cannot match China pound for pound in terms of warships and missiles.

“We should embark on a similar program that is less costly but effective. Aside from alliances (including mutual defense treaties, status of visiting forces agreements, and our treaty with France), we cannot solely rely on our allies because they have their own national interests to contend with in the first place,” he said.

Also, Lacson said the DND may need to consider cutting losses from some off-budget revenues including “golf course tourism,” if it projects P2.5 billion receipts, yet P2.9 billion in expenditures.

“Pagka ganyan, sara na lang natin yung golf course, kung lugi pa tayo sa pandilig (If this is the case, we might as well close the golf courses),” he said, to which Teodoro replied they may be constrained to stop that practice due to base security issues, or to scale it appropriately “for a more sustainable, at least zero outflow, matching budget.”

Also, Teodoro noted that China’s reported defense spending could be understated, pointing out that some spending goes to its maritime militia and China Coast Guard, which he said are linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) but are not officially included in reported military expenditure.

“There is no substitute but to build a level of resilience which will make it very unattractive for them,” Teodoro said, referring to the need to make the Philippines an unattractive target for aggression.

“We never match China in pound-for-pound capability but we will make the decision calculus as unfavorable as possible. That is the goal,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lacson pushed for a deeper look by the DND into a possible link between sleeper agents and the potential misuse of the late birth registration system.

Teodoro responded that some of the late registrants are “second-generation” cases having been registered by their parents who entered the country earlier. He cited dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo as an example of this.

Lacson also asked Teodoro to follow up on the analysis of surveillance equipment seized during anti-espionage activities, including a Chinese arrested near the Commission on Elections in Manila in April 2025, and another arrest made near AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

During a hearing on the PSA’s budget last September, Lacson raised national security concerns stemming from possible abuses of the late birth registration system and stressed the need for full implementation of the National ID system.

Lacson, the author and principal sponsor of the National ID law, said the proper implementation of the National ID could help address vulnerabilities in late birth registration, particularly by strengthening identity verification and authentication.

“I don’t think this is being implemented because of failure in full implementation. I don’t want this to be a dead letter law,” he said.

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Lacson sa DND: ‘Mag-improvise’ para Matugunan ang Malaking Agwat sa Gastusing Pandepensa ng Pilipinas at Tsina

Kailangang bumuo ang Department of National Defense (DND) ng programang “less costly pero effective” upang tugunan ang mga panlabas na banta sa gitna ng malaking agwat sa gastusing pandepensa ng Pilipinas kumpara sa mga karatig-bansa nito tulad ng China, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Lunes.

Hinimok din ni Lacson si DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. na siyasatin ang posibleng ugnayan ng mga sleeper agent at ang posibleng pang-aabuso sa sistema ng late registration ng kapanganakan.

“There seems to be a glaring disparity in our defense spending compared to our regional peers, particularly China. Ang kanilang defense expenditure is 52 times ng Pilipinas. Sa kanila, US$335 billion or P21 trillion. So how do we compensate, how do we do a David against a Goliath in this regard? Kasi wala tayong magagawa except mag-improvise,” ani Lacson sa kanyang interjection sa pagdinig ng Senate finance subcommittee sa panukalang 2027 budget ng DND.

Nasa P324.632 billion ang panukalang 2027 budget ng DND sa ilalim ng National Expenditure Program (NEP), kabilang ang P312.777 billion para sa Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Binigyang-diin ni Lacson na sa limitadong resources ng Pilipinas, hindi nito kayang tapatan ang China sa lakas ng mga barkong pandigma at missile nito.

“We should embark on a similar program that is less costly but effective. Aside from alliances (including mutual defense treaties, status of visiting forces agreements, and our treaty with France), we cannot solely rely on our allies because they have their own national interests to contend with in the first place,” aniya.

Sinabi din ni Lacson na baka kailangang pag-aralan ng DND ang pag-cut ng pagkalugi galing sa off-budget revenues kabilang ang “golf course tourism,” kung projected na kikita ang DND ng P2.5 bilyon pero magkaroon ng P2.9 bilyon sa expenditures, kabilang ang kuryente.

“Pagka ganyan, sara na lang natin yung golf course, kung lugi pa tayo sa pandilig,” aniya. Tugon ni Teodoro, maaaring kailangang tigilan ito dahil sa base security issues, o i-scale ito para gawing mas sustainable, “at least zero outflow, matching budget.”

Ayon din kay Teodoro, posibleng mas mababa pa sa aktuwal ang naiulat na gastusing pandepensa ng China. Ipinaliwanag niya na may bahagi rin ng paggasta nito na napupunta sa maritime militia at China Coast Guard, na ayon sa kanya ay may kaugnayan sa People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ngunit hindi opisyal na kasama sa iniulat na gastusing militar.

“There is no substitute but to build a level of resilience which will make it very unattractive for them,” ani Teodoro, na tumutukoy sa pangangailangang gawing hindi kaakit-akit na target ng agresyon ang Pilipinas.

“We never match China in pound-for-pound capability but we will make the decision calculus as unfavorable as possible. That is the goal,” dagdag niya.

Samantala, hiniling ni Lacson sa DND na masusing siyasatin ang posibleng ugnayan ng mga sleeper agent at ang posibleng pang-aabuso sa sistema ng late registration ng kapanganakan.

Bilang tugon, sinabi ni Teodoro na ilan sa mga late registrant ay mga kasong “second-generation,” kung saan ang kanilang mga magulang na naunang pumasok sa bansa ang nagparehistro sa kanila. Binanggit niya ang napatalsik na si dating Bamban Mayor Alice Guo bilang halimbawa nito.

Hiniling din ni Lacson kay Teodoro na alamin ang estado ng pagsusuri sa mga surveillance equipment na nasamsam sa mga operasyong kontra-espiya. Kabilang dito ang pag-aresto sa isang Chinese national malapit sa Commission on Elections (Comelec) sa Maynila noong Abril 2025 at isa pang pag-aresto malapit sa punong-himpilan ng AFP sa Camp Aguinaldo.

Sa pagdinig sa panukalang budget ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) noong Setyembre, nagpahayag si Lacson ng pangamba sa pambansang seguridad dahil sa posibleng pang-aabuso sa sistema ng late registration ng kapanganakan. Binigyang-diin din niya ang pangangailangang ganap na maipatupad ang National ID system.

Diin ni Lacson, may-akda at pangunahing tagapagtaguyod ng batas na lumikha sa National ID system, na makatutulong ang wastong pagpapatupad nito upang matugunan ang mga kahinaan sa late registration ng kapanganakan, lalo na sa pamamagitan ng mas matibay na beripikasyon at pagpapatunay ng pagkakakilanlan.

“I don’t think this is being implemented because of failure in full implementation. I don’t want this to be a dead letter law,” aniya.

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