THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) needs more bases, storage facilities and other infrastructure to support modern military equipment, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” C. Teodoro, Jr. said, warning that years of limited capital spending have left the military “equipment heavy but not support heavy.”
“The equipment we use is just the tip of the spear,” he told lawmakers during a House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations hearing on the Department of National Defense’s (DND) proposed 2027 budget. “But without the support systems for those pieces of hardware you see, everything will be just useless because they will be unsustainable.”
The DND is seeking P50 billion for the Revised AFP Modernization Program under its 2027 proposal.
The National Expenditure Program, however, provides P324.632 billion for the DND, 43.32% below the agency’s P572.787-billion proposal. The allocation includes P312.777 billion for the AFP, P10.255 billion for DND civilian bureaus, and P1.599 billion for the Office of the Secretary.
“Modernization is not merely a question of acquiring capabilities, but also providing adequate infrastructure to support capabilities,” Mr. Teodoro said.
He said the military had not received enough capital funding for infrastructure for several years, leaving gaps in facilities needed to house, maintain and operate modern equipment.
The DND is prioritizing strategic and logistical bases, particularly in central areas with access to the country’s maritime domain, to boost military presence and supply lines.
The AFP also needs a wider network of facilities that can serve as logistical bases for troops deployed across the country, Mr. Teodoro said. Critical supplies also need to be stored at multiple locations to ensure that frontline units have access to reserves.
Military facilities must also be designed to accommodate the size and weight of modern equipment, he said.
The AFP is also seeking to strengthen its information technology and cyber capabilities, which Mr. Teodoro described as essential to command and control.
The military needs bigger rotary-wing aircraft for humanitarian assistance and disaster response, he said, adding that its fleet of about 46 Black Hawk helicopters is insufficient for such missions.
The Philippine Navy continues to acquire modern corvettes and frigates, while the Philippine Army is focused on improving mobility and expanding its presence across the country, Mr. Teodoro said.
Mr. Teodoro also told congressmen that efforts to recruit Filipino government personnel to obtain sensitive information remain a real security threat.
Party-list Rep. Haima “Dadah” Kiram Ismula cited reports involving a former navy researcher, a former DND employee and a person close to the Philippine Coast Guard who were allegedly recruited to prepare analyses or forward e-mails to handlers linked to the Chinese Communist Party in exchange for money.
Mr. Teodoro said that in the DND case he was aware of, personnel received e-mails offering paid sideline work involving papers for an alleged think tank. The requests became more detailed over time, prompting the employees to refuse and report the approaches.
“There are many other attempts,” he said. “As inventive as people are, the attempts to compromise are real,” he added, noting that no sensitive information was obtained in the case he knew of.
Job order and contract of service workers may be particularly vulnerable because government pay rules make it difficult to offer competitive compensation to highly technical personnel, Mr. Teodoro said.
The DND monitors government-issued information technology equipment and subjects personnel to security vetting, but he said it could not guarantee that such recruitment attempts would not recur.
“Hacking is actually a war every day,” he said in mixed English and Filipino, adding that the goal is to detect and isolate compromises as quickly as possible.
Mr. Teodoro also backed hazard pay for civilian government personnel deployed in the South China Sea and other high-risk areas.
He said housing benefits should also be considered because personnel stationed in dangerous areas might be concerned about the safety and welfare of their families. — Mark Joseph M. Sanchez