JV backs increased AFP modernization fund amid budget cuts, security threats

Senator JV Ejercito on Tuesday vowed to fully support a sustained funding of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program, citing the urgent need to bolster the country’s defense posture in the face of budget constraints and increasing external threats, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

At the Senate deliberation on the proposed 2026 budget for the Department of National Defense (DND) and its attached agencies, Ejercito criticized the consistent budget cuts that have hampered the implementation of key modernization projects.

“For years, the AFP modernization has been victimized by budget cuts. But in the Senate, we have been consistent in supplementing and adding budget for the AFP modernization in the past years, tayo po ang nagdadagdag,” he said.

Ejercito questioned the slow progress of the program, noting that out of 188 revised AFP modernization projects, only 59 have been completed. He attributed this lag to chronic underfunding, which he said has stalled the country's shift to a credible defense capability.

“Ang tanong ko (my question is), out of 188 revised AFP modernization projects, only 59 were completed? Talagang ganito lang to? (Is it really just like this) ” he asked.

The senator also cited past instances of alleged misallocation of public funds, recalling how billions of pesos were lost to “ghost” flood control projects in Bulacan. He suggested that such funds could have been better used to support the AFP’s needs.

“Kung inilaan sana dito sa modernization program, nakahabol na tayo. Nasa Horizon 3 na sana tayo ngayon (If only this had been allocated to the modernization program, we would’ve caught up by now. We could already be in Horizon 3 today),” he said, referring to the final phase of the AFP modernization program.

Ejercito urged defense officials to propose concrete solutions to address the funding gap and called for institutional reforms, a stable funding mechanism, and a more integrated defense-industrial strategy to meet the country’s security needs.

A known advocate of defense reform, Ejercito reiterated his commitment to supporting legislative and budgetary initiatives that would enhance the AFP’s capabilities and protect national sovereignty.