Lacson flags DND golf course losses: ‘Sara na lang natin kung lugi pa tayo sa pandilig’

MANILA — Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has questioned the financial viability of the Department of National Defense’s (DND) golf course operations, saying the department may need to cut losses if projected revenues continue to fall short of expenditures.

During a Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the DND’s proposed 2027 budget on Monday, Lacson cited projected receipts of P2.5 billion against expenditures of P2.9 billion, raising concerns over the sustainability of the activity.

“Pagka ganyan, sara na lang natin yung golf course, kung lugi pa tayo sa pandilig,” Lacson said.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the department might have to discontinue the practice due to military base security concerns or scale down operations to achieve a more sustainable arrangement, with revenues at least matching expenditures.

Lacson also asked DND to investigate a possible link between foreign sleeper agents and the potential misuse of the late birth registration system, citing national security concerns.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to look into the possible connection.

Teodoro said some individuals who registered their births late were second-generation cases whose parents had entered the country earlier. He cited dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo as an example.

Lacson also asked Teodoro to follow up on the analysis of surveillance equipment seized during anti-espionage operations, including equipment recovered following the arrest of a Chinese national near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila in April 2025 and another arrest near the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.

The senator had previously raised concerns over possible abuses of the late birth registration system during a September hearing on the proposed budget of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Lacson, author and principal sponsor of the National ID law, stressed the need to fully implement the national identification system to strengthen identity verification and authentication and address vulnerabilities in the registration process.

“I don’t think this is being implemented because of failure in full implementation. I don’t want this to be a dead letter law,” he said.

Lacson also urged the DND to develop a “less costly but effective” defense program, citing the Philippines’ limited resources compared with China’s military spending.

He said China’s reported defense expenditure was 52 times that of the Philippines, citing an estimated $335 billion, or about P21 trillion.

“So how do we compensate? How do we do a David against a Goliath in this regard? There is no choice for us but to improvise,” Lacson said.

The DND’s proposed 2027 budget under the National Expenditure Program amounts to P324.632 billion, including P312.777 billion for the AFP.

Lacson said the Philippines could not match China’s military capabilities in terms of warships and missiles and should instead pursue cost-effective ways to strengthen its defenses while maintaining security partnerships.

He cautioned against relying solely on allies, noting that other countries also have their own national interests.

Teodoro, meanwhile, said China’s reported defense spending could be understated because expenditures for its maritime militia and China Coast Guard, which he said are linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), may not be fully reflected in official figures.

“There is no substitute but to build a level of resilience which will make it very unattractive for them,” Teodoro said.

“We never match China in pound-for-pound capability but we will make the decision calculus as unfavorable as possible. That is the goal,” he added.