Lacson urges higher defense spending amid China incursions in West Philippine Sea

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said the Philippines must increase its military spending to boost national defense efforts amid China's incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

China has continually rejected an international court's ruling invalidating its massive claim in the South China Sea in 2016.

Four years later, the Philippines told China to comply with the "non-negotiable" award. In response, the Chinese embassy maintained China does not recognize the ruling.

At a virtual international conference hosted by the Stratbase Albert Del Rosario Institute marking the fourth year since the ruling was handed down, Lacson said the Philippines must be "sincere and committed" to its national defense efforts.

He said military spending must ideally be increased to at least 2% of the gross domestic product to achieve a minimum credible defense posture and to be at par with other Southeast Asian countries. In the 2020 budget, he said military expenditures amount to P192.1 billion or 0.9% of the projected GDP, smaller than that of countries like Vietnam, India, and Japan.

"This is not to militarize the matter, but it goes without saying that what a nation could not protect by its own power could not be safeguarded by the international community," he said at the virtual conference.

He added that it will take the Philippines more than five years of financial investments and capacity building to "truly modernize" the Armed Forces.

Former Foreign Affairs chief Albert Del Rosario also said it may be high time for the government to assert the Philippines' position by relying on the "skill, courage and patriotism" of the military.

"As a self-respecting country, we need the capacity to protect our territory and defend ourselves against external threats like China's incursions as mandated by our Constitution," he said.

He maintained that he is opposed to war, but said that "if threatened by the use of force, we should be ready to inflict at the very least a bloody nose on any attacker who is out to harm us."

President Rodrigo Duterte, who had sought friendly ties with China, has set aside the 2016 arbitral ruling but vowed to raise it with Beijing “at a proper time.”

Del Rosario said the President may still have the opportunity to raise the arbitral award before the world in the remainder of his term.

He said the ruling should be raised before the United Nations General Assembly in September. He also suggested for the Philippines to take steps to "consolidate support and assistance" from countries like the United States, Australia, and Japan, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union.

Del Rosario added that Chinese officials must be held criminally accountable and that Beijing be made to pay damages for what he said was the massive and devastating destruction of the marine environment in the West Philippine Sea.

He and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales filed a communication accusing Chinese officials of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court, which the Philippines has left and which China is not a party to.

Lacson further suggested that the Philippines increase alliances with other countries as a "counterweight" against China.

Both the senator and Del Rosario called for unity in upholding the country's interests.  —KBK, GMA News