RPPe HOUSE PANEL SWIFTLY ENDS DND BUDGET DELIBERATION

The House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by AKO BICOL Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, on Thursday ended the deliberation on the P258.16 billion proposed budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) and its attached agencies for 2025.

Committee senior vice chairperson and Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo highlighted the strategic shift in DND’s focus from internal security to territorial defense. 

She noted this transition is not just a reaction to immediate threats but a forward-looking approach aimed at addressing the complex security challenges the nation faces, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Quimbo said the current proposed budget is 6.51% higher than the current year's budget of P242.39 billion. 

This budget will support the DND's core functions as well as its attached agencies, including the Government Arsenal, National Defense College, Office of Civil Defense and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, among others.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. outlined the DND's priority agenda, which includes the DND transformation, establishment of a military pension trust fund, introduction of a new defense strategic direction with a focus on archipelagic defense and the protection of Philippine sovereignty, alliance-building and international engagement, the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Program, and the Re-Horizon 3 of the revised AFP modernization program. 

He added the efforts will be made to enhance the efficiency of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Office of Civil Defense.

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan questioned the discrepancy between the proposed Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization budget and the allocation in the National Expenditure Program.

"Your Honor, it is an inter-agency committee from the DBCC that then decides to parcel out (the budget). And knowing that your Honor, we have to resort to outside financing for it and hopefully we can get the support of the DOF, the Monetary Board, the banking system and Congress to allow us to do so," Teodoro replied.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez also highlighted the P51 billion shortfall from Teodoro's P305-billion defense budget proposal. 

He asserted that the DND requires additional funding to effectively defend the country’s sovereignty and plans to advocate for budget restoration at the appropriate time.

"How can we be able to deter? The point here is we are not going to war, but we are deterring the China threat not only by our own assets, but with our international arrangements with the US, with Japan, Australia and coming are France and Germany," Rodriguez said.

Committee vice chairperson and Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose Aquino II presided over the DND's budget hearing.

RPPe Davao prison official supports testimonies of 2 witnesses on ‘execution’ of 3 Chinese drug lords

An official of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm on Wednesday supported the testimonies of two inmates that the prison warden, Supt. Gerardo Padilla, facilitated their execution of three Chinese drug lords supposedly upon the orders of then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

During the Quad Comm hearing on extra-judicial killings, Padilla denied the allegations of Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro that he ordered their transfer, together with the three, to cell No. 6 of the Davao prison before the two stabbed the three suspects to death on the night of Aug. 13, 2016.

Later, Padilla was cited in contempt. 

However, on questioning by Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, a co-presiding officer of the joint panel as chairman of the committee on public order and safety, Senior Inspector Nonie Forro, commander of prison guards, said Padilla cleared the transfer of Tan, Magdadaro and the three drug lords to cell No. 6.

The three murdered Chinese drug lords have been identified as Chu Kin Tung, alias Tony Lim; Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Li; and Wong Meng Pin, alias Wang Ming Ping.

Forro informed the joint panel that there were three levels of officials approving the transfer of inmates.

“So ikaw ang final approval?” Fernandez asked.

“Hindi, for the final approval talaga manggagaling sa taas,” Forro responded.

“Kay warden, so after your approval dinala mo kay warden, so si warden ang nagsisinungaling.  So ngayon ang final na approval ng pagpapasok ng Chinese together with the two PDLs is under your jurisdiction, warden,” Fernandez said.

Forro said the transfer of Tan, Magdadaro and the three drug lords had Padilla’s clearance.

“May advise po si sir Gerry…may advise po si Supt. Padilla,” he said.

“So may advise si superintendent na ipasok sa isang bartolina ‘yong lima?” Fernandez asked.

“Opo,” Forro answered.

Tan has told Quad Comm that after he and Magdadaro had murdered the three Chinese, he heard then President Duterte call Padilla to congratulate him.

Padilla denied Tan’s allegation.

He told the joint panel: “Pinapasinungalingan ko po ang lahat, wala pong nangyaring tawag sa akin mula sa presidente no’ng panahong ‘yon, at saka po ‘yong mga meron po akong sinumpaang salaysay kung saan naka-base po ito sa investigation report ng parallel investigation na ginawa ng PNP Dujali City and province.  Nandito po ang mga unang sinumpaang salaysay ng dalawa bago po naipasa sa korte para masampahan sila ng kaukulang demanda.”

Members of the joint panel did not believe the prison warden’s statement.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said even if the testimonies of Tan, Magdadaro and former policeman Jimmy Fortaleza were untrue, he Padilla’s denial that he did not order the transfer of Tan, Magdadaro and the three Chinese to cell No. 6.

“Paano nagkataon Mr. Chair na sabay silang pumasok doon sa selda sais.  Pwede po ba pumasok ang bilanggo sa bartolina without the approval of the warden?  Pwede po ba pumasok ang tatlong Chinese national without the approval of the warden?  Ito po ang tatanungin ko sa inyo, kayo po’ng warden, alam po ninyo ang lahat nangyayari sa bilangguan.  Imposible na napasok ‘yong limang tao sa selda sais na magkasama without the prior approval of the warden,” Pimentel said.

“Hindi po tayo kindergarten dito, hindi po tayo bata, alam ho natin ‘yong regulasyon, I was a governor before, ako ay dumalaw rin ng mga provincial jails, and I know the regulations, wala pong nangyayari na mga movement ng bilanggo kung wala pong approval ng warden,” he said.

Echoing Pimentel’s statements, Fernandez told Padilla: “What we are trying to imply here, that being the warden…during that time that they were apprehended tapos nilipat natin sila sa bartolina.  So no’ng nilipat natin sila sa bartolina we all know that these are all foreigners and high-value targets. And together with the two PDLs, that they committed and they were convicted of murder, putting them together will put those foreigners at risk.  Hindi mo ba naisip ‘yon?”

Padilla pointed to Forro as the one responsible for the transfer of Tan, Magdadaro and the three Chinese to cell No. 6.

“Sino nga, bakit hindi mo mabanggit kung sino? This will be your last chance. I will cite you in contempt. You are lying. Ang tanong lang diretso, sino ang nag-utos if not you?” a visibly irritated Paduano asked.

“One of the guards po, Inspector Nonie Forro, then ipapasa po ‘yan,” Padilla answered. It was at this point that Forro said Padilla cleared the transfer of the five inmates to one cell. (END)