Senate panel increases DND budget to P215B for 2021

The Senate finance committee on Friday raised the proposed budget of the Department of National Defense to P215 billion.

During the Senate budget deliberations, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Department of Budget and Management only endorsed P208.7 billion for the DND under the National Expenditure Program, lower than the agency's original request of P345.3 billion.

Lacson is sponsoring the DND budget as chairperson of the Committee on National Defense and Security and vice chairperson of the Senate finance committee.

The House of Representatives increased the defense budget to P210.7 billion under the general appropriations bill, and the senators decided to augment it further with P5 billion.

The increase that the Senate panel made includes the additional P2 billion for the Philippine Army's operationalization of the 11th Infantry Division; P425 million for the medicines of veterans; P533 million for the General Headquarters; P100 million for cybersecurity; P63 million for Office of Civil Defense, among others.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon raised a concern that this may be tagged by the Executive department as "For Later Release" again.

"We are leaving no room for DBM to impose FLRs on institutional amendments at least because that would be a violation of the Congress to give the authorization to spend," Lacson responded.

"The amendments introduced by both houses, members of both houses of Congress should not be interrupted or tampered with ng DBM," he added, stressing that the General Appropriations Act is a law that the executive branch must comply with. — RSJ, GMA News