Self-reliant defense posture bill now only needs Marcos’ signature

Inquirer files

MANILA, Philippines — A bill that seeks to require the government to pursue a self-reliant defense posture now only needs President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature to become law.

During the session on Monday, the House of Representatives adopted the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of House Bill No. 9713 and Senate Bill No. 2455, or the proposed Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act.

“Mr. Speaker, we are in receipt of a conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of House Bill No. 9713 and Senate Bill No. 2455, on the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act,” Deputy Speaker Josephine Veronique Lacson-Noel said.

READ: House OKs bills on self-reliant defense posture, chemical weapons ban

“Mr. Speaker in accordance with our rules, I move that we ratify the said conference committee report,” she added.

Her motion was approved by the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza.

At the Senate, the same measure’s bicameral conference committee report was also ratified, which means it will now be sent to the President’s desk for his signature or veto message.

Priority legislation

The bill, labeled a priority piece of legislation of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac), aims to develop the country’s defense industry by creating ways to boost the local production of defense equipment like materiel and bullets.

“The underlying concept of self-reliance shall be manifested in the continued preference on local production of materiel, when feasible, for the country’s defense forces through the partnership between the military and civilian establishments, and taking the recourse to importation only for those requirements that cannot be locally produced with the ultimate objective of acquiring the technology for the production of these materiel,” the House version of the bill read.

“Paramount to the attainment of this objective is the responsibility of the military and other government agencies to provide technical and financial assistance to civilian defense manufacturers,” it added.

The House approved its version of the bill last January 2024.  In a statement, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said that self-reliance would mean that the government would only procure items that could not be locally produced yet.

Local production of materiel

“The bill provides that the concept of self-reliance shall be manifested in the continued preference on local production of materiel, when feasible, for the country’s defense forces through the partnership between the military and civilian establishments,” Romualdez said.

“Recourse to importation will only be resorted to for requirements that cannot be locally produced. The bill essentially provides for government support to the technical and financial needs of civilian manufacturers materiel,” he added. “The aim is to develop the defense capability of the country and rationalize defense acquisition.”

If Section 14 of the House-version is maintained in the bicameral conference committee report, an Office of the Undersecretary for Defense Technology Research and Industry Development will be created, which shall be responsible for “managing and administering a databank for analysis, conducting research and development and technology transfer, facilitating defense industry promotion, establishing public-private partnerships, and setting up domestic and foreign collaborations”.