Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri (File photo)
MANILA – Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday said it's about time the Philippines develop and produce its own arms manufacturing company to avoid importation that depletes the country's economy.
Speaking before the hearing of the Senate Committee on Defense, Zubiri said "while we value our defense cooperation with other foreign allies, we cannot rely on them entirely," adding that "overreliance on our allies leaves us on the back foot -- always waiting, and always dependent on what they will supply us with."
"Nakakaawa po na kailangan pa natin halos manglimos mula sa ibang bansa, para mabigyan ng armas at bala ang ating mga sundalo. 'Yan po ang nangyari noong Marawi (It's a pity that we have to almost beg from other countries, to give our soldiers weapons and ammunition. That's what happened in Marawi), we are very familiar with that. At ayoko na pong maulit ang ganyang eksena (And I don't want that scene to happen again). Our brave men and women of the armed forces deserve more, and deserve better," he noted.
Meanwhile, Zubiri thanked the Senate Committee on National Defense as he expressed his support for taking up the Philippine Defense Industry Development Act (PDIDA), which he has been strongly advocating for, as a key measure in support of the country's ongoing efforts to build a credible and concrete defense program.
“Amidst growing national concern over our sovereignty, it is very timely that we now consider the merits of revitalizing our Self-Reliant Defense Posture program and building a local defense industry that would supply the needs of our Armed Forces," he said.
Zubiri said the Philippines is among the top importers of arms in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), spending USD338 million in arms imports in 2021 -- next only to Singapore (at USD361 million), and Myanmar (at USD394 million). "Unlike Singapore, we have a great deal of resources at our disposal. And unlike Myanmar, we are not operating under military rule."
A closer comparison would be Indonesia, he said, which in 2021 allocated 3.9 percent of its overall government spending towards military expenditure -- "not far from the 3.8 percent that we directed towards the military. And yet, Indonesia’s arms imports came in at only USD68 million, a far cry from our USD338 million. Indonesia’s defense industry has been growing so exponentially. In fact, the Indonesian government is now expecting to join the world’s 50 top defense companies by next year."
"We need to be able to produce our own needs, on our own time. We have the resources. We have the manpower and the skills. And I am quite hopeful that we also now have the political will to push this through. That is why PDIDA should come in, as a vital move towards a truly self-reliant defense program,” he added. (PNA)
