Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas quizzed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday about the budget spent by his department in the Balikatan military exercises with the United States.
But the Makabayan lawmaker was not pleased with Lorenzana’s answers, saying he appeared “rattled” by the question.
Brosas had asked Lorenzana if the DND spent any funds for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) with the US.
“None, your honor. The funding there is the sole responsibility of the United States,” Lorenzana said.
Brosas then asked how many exercises the Philippines and the US military engaged in. Lorenzana said there were 250 exercises, including small tabletop exercises.
Lorenzana said the DND did not spend much on the US-Philippines military exercises, as the US shouldered much of the cost.
Brosas said it was a shame Lorenzana “failed to answer even the most basic questions on the department’s budget breakdown for foreign engagements and peace support operations.”
“It is even more alarming that Sec. Delfin Lorenza seems to be rattled when asked about the Balikatan exercises’ fund which was conducted last April 2019,” she said.
“He said that the government did not spend a single centavo which is impossible considering that Balikatan 2019 is one of the biggest in the project’s history,” Brosas said.
https://politics.com.ph/lorenzana-rattled-when-quizzed-about-balikatan-budget-gabriela-solon1/
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