House probe set on attempt to insert gun deal in budget
The House will investigate next week the alleged attempt to insert P8 billion for the procurement of firearms in the 2026 national budget.
A ranking House lawmaker on Thursday asked the committee on public order and safety to conduct the probe. In a letter dated Sept. 3 and addressed to Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said that Congress must look into the issue amid reports the insertion was made at the behest of the son of a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) undersecretary.
Abante cited a letter purportedly from the Philippine National Police and addressed to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla requesting for an P8-billion insertion in the 2026 budget, “specifically for the procurement of 80,000 units of standardized caliber-5.56 mm basic assault rifles.”
House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno, in an earlier press conference, said that lawmakers scoured the budget books but found no trace of the allocation in either the 2025 or 2026 budgets.
In his letter to Valeriano, Abante said that Congress must find out why a budget insertion was being sought by the son of an undersecretary of the same agency that would approve such a request, and whether this was the real reason for the removal of former PNP chief Gen. Nicanor Torre III.
Staggering amount
“Also, the amount requested for the intended purchase of guns is quite staggering. P8 billion for 80,000 units is P100,000 per unit. What is now the status of this requested budget insertion?” Abante asked.
For his part, Valeriano confirmed that his committee would look into the matter by next week.
House leaders said the probe would seek to establish accountability and ensure that no hidden allocations slip through the national budget process.
Remulla earlier said he was open to an investigation, saying he agreed with Torre that there was no need to procure more guns for the PNP.
