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, Senator Ping Lacson said.
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.
“Wala tayong magagawa except mag-improvise.”
“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,” the veteran legislator 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).
The seasoned lawmaker 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,” the senator 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.
“Sara na lang natin ‘yung golf course, kung lugi pa tayo sa pandilig.”
“’Pagka ganyan, sara na lang natin ‘yung golf course, kung lugi pa tayo sa pandilig,” 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, the defense chief 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.
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 concluded.
