MANILA - Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Thursday he will review the bilateral defense guidelines between the Philippines and the United States, as a lawmaker questioned the provision on close coordination between the two countries regarding the Philippines’ defense budget planning.

Teodoro asserted that the Philippine Department of National Defense did not consult the US in crafting its proposed 2024 budget.

Under the guidelines established last May by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and then Acting Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. the two countries agreed to “coordinate closely on the Philippines’ defense budget planning, including through the development of a Security Sector Assistance Roadmap to identify priority defense platforms and force packages over the next five years to bolster our combined capabilities and capacity to resist coercion and deter aggression”.

"Mismong bilateral security guidelines show na sila pwedeng makialam sa atin, pero hindi naman natin ‘yun magagawa… It’s not fair,” Kabataan Party List Rep. Raoul Manuel said during the House Committee on Appropriations’ deliberations on DND’s proposed 2024 budget.

“Hindi kami nagko-konsulta sa United States sa aming budget planning. Kami ay humihiling sa kanila ng capability upgrade assistance batay sa MDT at ibang cooperation agreements, pero sa paggawa ng ating budget, sarili nating gawa ito at walang coordination sa Estados Unidos at kahit anong ibang bansa, dahil ito ay internal na proseso ng ating bansa,” Teodoro replied.

"Re-reviewhin namin ‘yang bilateral security guidelines,” he added.

The defense chief, meanwhile, explained the allocation of funds for military sites in the country, which are covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the US.

“Dapat hindi pumapayag ang bansa natin na magkaroon ng shared locations na ganito, tapos tayo ang nagshe-shellout ng ganito… Hindi ba ito taliwas sa sinasabi ng US na sila ang gagastos sa improvement at pagtatayo ng pasilidad sa EDCA sites? ” Gabriela Party List Rep. Arlene Brosas asked.

“They will spend too, and support. We are also getting capability assistance from it provided we pass security assessments… Ito ay tulong at logistics assistance ng Amerikano, ngunit ito ay Philippine bases… We really need to spend. If not, then we lose our independence on it. We really need to spend, this is just assistance for us. If it is related to other geopolitical activities of the United States, I can say it’s not. It is for internal hardening of our external defense credible deterrent posture,” Teodoro answered.

He also defended the Philippines' alliance with the US and other countries in asserting rules-based international order in parts of the West Philippine Sea against China’s claims. Teodoro said China’s 10-dash line map is an evidence of its “expansionist agenda”, adding that while the Philippines is taking the diplomatic route in asserting its rights over the West Philippine Sea, it should also continue to upgrade defense capabilities.

"Bakit natin hinahayaan ang US na parang ang footing na ay magkaroon ng digmaan sa West Philippine Sea?” Manuel asked.

“Hindi ganoon ang aking pananaw. Sino ba ang nagwa-water cannon? US ba o China? Sino ang nasa war footing, tayo o sila? Sa akin ayokong magka-gyera. Ngunit ang diplomasya, pag hindi binack-up-an ng katatagan sa paraan ng pagkakaroon ng matibay na kapabilidad na tayuan ang sarili, balewala ang democracy lalu sa determinadong malaking bansa na may hangaring kupkupin ang buong South China Sea,” Teodoro replied.

“We will not back down. We will continue to do what we are doing. We will continue to build alliances with like-minded nations in order to enforce international law... When China states that we are puppets of the United States and other hegemons in order to contain them, they implicitly admit by using the word contain, that they have an expansionist agenda, and that is proven by the new administrative map where they added another dash line. So that is the best evidence of their expansionist agenda, to dominate the whole South China Sea and perhaps beyond,” he added.

Amid such threats, funding deficiency for the revised Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program is at P328.57 billion.

“It would leave gaps in our command and control, gaps in our activities to deter… and detect incursions in the West Philippine Sea and our overall defense posture,” Teodoro told the panel.

“It is best to review and revision what we really need based on the threat situations we see and the transition of our AFP from internal security to territorial defense, which will include an internal security dimension,” he added.

VPSPG funds

Part of AFP’s proposed 2024 budget is the P75 million allocation for the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG). It currently has 345 personnel, according to Teodoro. A report from the Commission on Audit showed that security detail for the VP increased more than four-fold to 433 personnel in the second half of last year, when Sara Duterte assumed the post.

“Tatayuan ko po ang necessity ng VPSPG kasi ang bise presidente noong araw ay idinadagdag yan sa PSG budget, at hindi po consistent ang kanilang suporta. Kaya minabuti ni Sec. Lorenzana na gumawa ng VPSPG… (10:24AM) Kaya 400 yan, dahil OVP, mga advanced locations na pinupuntahan niya, deped, rotation ng mga staff at support sa kanyang opisina. Pagka hindi nilitaw ito ng tama… kukunin ho ito sa ibang units sa mga requirements niya,” Teodoro explained..

The House panel terminated on Thursday the deliberations on DND’s proposed P229.9 billion budget for 2024.

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