Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano sees publicly tackling the annual budget of the Department of National Defense, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), might become a favorable opportunity for those who wish to overthrow the government.

"Why is it that we make it so easy for those who want to topple the government to show the budget of the DND, the AFP, the PNP," Cayetano said during the plenary debates for the proposed P5.268-trillion 2023 national budget.

He was actually suggesting that the Senate committee should also consider a "classification system" as to when should the budget for the defense body must be publicized.

The lawmaker insisted there are many ways to make the military accountable and ensure the budget given to them will be used accordingly and judiciously.

"I do not see the point of openly discussing the budget of the AFP, PNP, and DND in the bigger House—the Congress and in the smaller House—in the Senate," he said.

Cayetano added that some people might take advantage of an open budget discussion to "strategically" scrutinize the resources of the country's armed forces, which, in turn, can be used against the government.

"I have a thousand questions but I'd rather ask it in a forum that will not put all of you our dear men and women in uniform in danger," he said.

Cayetano lamented the government has the very least idea of where the communist armed wing, New People's Army—a long-standing enemy of the state—are getting their annual resources for operations.

"We have eyes on the ground but there's no way to find out the exact budget and the number of arms, troops, etc. of the enemy. The exact number unlike what the budget of the AFP is in the GAA ," he said.