In an interview with Senate media, Sen. Lacson answered questions on the possible implications on national security of scrapping the PH-US Visiting Forces Agreement.
Sen. Lacson sponsored the proposed PhP191,340,253,000Β budget of the Department of National Defense for 2020. The amount is about 4% of the 2020 budget. The key security strategy for 2018 indicated a minimum of 2% of the budget for the DND.
The DND is seeking a budget of P258.35 billion for 2020, including P119.118B for personnel services; P69.704B for pension; P40.701B for MOOE; and P28.831B for capital outlay.
In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– Senate Bill 982, the ‘Designated Survivor’ bill
– Chinese shipowner’s apology over Recto Bank incident
– 4 Chinese drug lords reportedly released
Has the presidential spokesman switched from Chinese embassy defense counsel to spokesman?
What I was pointing out in my tweet is not on the issue of whether or not there is logic in the Chinese ambassador’s statement.
The thing is, the Chinese embassy has its own spokesman who should speak on their behalf because that’s his job. Why would the country’s presidential spokesperson whose salary and other miscellaneous expenses are being paid out of our taxes take on the embassy spokesman’s job?
In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– divorce bill in Congress
– President Duterte to bring up Hague arbitral ruling with Chinese President Xi Jinping
– Manila Mayor Isko Moreno’s ‘recommendations’ vs non-performing local officials, cops
– corruption at the DOH and PhilHealth
– 2020 budget and guarding against ‘pork’
At the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
β dealing with China’s recent actions in the West Philippine Sea
β ‘conflict of interest’ at the DOH involving Sec. Duque, kin; corruption at PhilHealth
β proposals to scrap STL amid corruption row at PCSO
β ‘militarization’ of government with appointment of retired military/police officials
A verbal agreement between President Duterte and President Xi is what it is – a verbal agreement. Is that verbal agreement already part of our national policy? Is it being carried out? It is my humble view that it is not. Why? There is no showing that the Department of Foreign Affairs as well as the Department of National Defense are implementing that so-called verbal agreement.
In fact, on occasion, the two frontline agencies have expressed different views. Having said that, we will be better off to just leave it at that.
Maybe our problem is, we have a spokesman who talks more than he should. He telegraphs every move and every plan that the executive has on issues that need a little diligence and study.
To Malaya Business Insight: This refers to the column of former ambassador and Dean Reynaldo Arcilla, where he tried to inject political color into Sen. Panfilo M. Lacsonβs recent statements on the Recto Bank incident at the West Philippine Sea.