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Estrada calls for Senate oversight on AFP modernization

Philippine News Agency

By Wilnard Bacelonia
October 29, 2025, 1:31 pm

MANILA -- Senator Jinggoy Estrada called on Wednesday for the Senate to exercise its oversight powers to review the implementation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, citing delays, underfunding, and rising security threats in the region.

Estrada recently filed Senate Resolution No. 161, seeking to identify legislative interventions that would accelerate the modernization of the military and strengthen the country's defense posture amid escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), persistent harassment of Filipino fishermen, and emerging cyber threats.

"Our defense posture must evolve rapidly. We cannot afford delays when the safety and security of the Filipino people are at stake," Estrada said.

Estrada, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, lamented that despite the strategic importance of the modernization program, progress remained sluggish due to budgetary constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and poor planning.

Under the AFP Modernization Program, 15 projects from Horizon 1 (2013-2017) and 73 from Horizon 2 (2018-2022) remain incomplete, while 37 are planned for Horizon 3 (2023-2027).

For fiscal year 2026, Estrada said the Department of National Defense (DND) proposed PHP133.74 billion, but only PHP90 million was included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) — with PHP50 million under unprogrammed appropriations that depend on excess revenues or foreign grants.

"These figures reveal a glaring mismatch between our defense needs and actual funding support. Our soldiers are ready to defend the country, but we must equip them with the tools and technology necessary to do so effectively," Estrada said.

He cited the importance of implementing new laws such as the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act (RA 12024) and the New Government Procurement Act (RA 12009) to boost local defense production and procurement transparency.

"The threats we face today are no longer hypothetical —they are real and immediate. From territorial incursions to disinformation campaigns, the Philippines needs a defense force that can respond with speed, precision, and technological readiness," he added.

Estrada emphasized the need for a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach to achieve defense modernization.

"The modernization of the AFP is not just about purchasing equipment. It's about ensuring that the Philippines remains sovereign, secure, and ready to protect every Filipino—whether at sea, in the air, on land, or online," he said. (PNA)