PRESIDENTIAL candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said he will pour more funds for the modernization of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force once he wins this year’s elections.
In a chance interview in Candelaria, Quezon, Lacson said it is high time to equip the PN and PAF with modern military technology to improve their capability against external threats to the country.
“The threat of the New People’s Army has decreased, its force has decreased, which led to a decrease in internal threat. So, why would we need a lot of Army [soldiers] when there is an increase in external threat?” Lacson said.
“Let us modernize, strengthen the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force. Our pilots should be adept because presently wars are fought with high-tech equipment, that at a wrong touch of a button, we will all be wiped out from the face of the earth,” he added.
Lacson said investing for the Navy and Air Force would be wise moves since creating bigger number of foot soldiers would entail additional funds which the government can instead use to modernize its sea and air assets.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ budget is spent mostly on personnel services. Now, it added battalions to BaSulTa [Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi] which needs additional funds. Let us just use those funds to buy modern equipment,” he said.
