HOUSE Committee on Human Rights chair and Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. has formally asked the Committee on Public Order and Safety to open an investigation into what he described as an “attempted insertion” of P8 billion in the proposed 2026 national budget for the procurement of firearms.
In a letter dated September 3 and addressed to Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano, who chairs the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, Abante said the matter must be examined closely given the scale of the amount involved and its potential violation of existing laws.
“I write to formally request for the House Committee on Public Order and Safety to initiate a formal investigation on the attempted insertion of P8 Billion Pesos in the PNP Budget for 2026 for the purchase of guns and ammunitions in violation of the procurement law, and RA No. 6975, as amended by RA No. 8551,” Abante stated in his request.
Abante cited reports circulating online, pointing to a letter purportedly from the Philippine National Police addressed to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, asking for the inclusion of P8 billion in the 2026 budget “specifically for the procurement of 80,000 units of standardized caliber 5.56 mm basic assault rifles.”
He said a copy of the letter was attached to his request as an annex.
According to Abante, social media reports further alleged that the letter was brought by Adrian Sanares, the son of retired general and current DILG undersecretary for peace and order Nestor Sanares, to then-PNP chief Nicolas Torre III for signature.
Torre’s refusal to sign was said to be one of the reasons for his removal from office.
Abante insisted that these claims require scrutiny, raising a number of questions about the propriety of the process and the accountability of the individuals involved.
“Why is a budget insertion request being facilitated by the son of an undersecretary of the agency that would approve such a request?” he asked in the letter.
He also sought clarification on whether Torre had violated any laws or rules that could justify his relief from the post.
“What specific law or rule did PNP Chief Torre violate that led to his relief/removal?” Abante wrote.
The Manila lawmaker drew attention to the scale of the proposed firearms acquisition, noting that P8 billion for 80,000 units translated to P100,000 per unit.
“Also, the amount requested for the intended purchase of guns is quite staggering. Php8 billion for 80,000 units is Php100,000 per unit. What is now the status of this requested budget insertion?” Abante asked.
Abante said it was essential that the questions raised be fully addressed in a formal inquiry to prevent public distrust in the budget process.
“These questions call for answers. The public has the right to know,” he stressed.
At a press conference just recently, Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City Rep. Ronaldo Puno already noted that lawmakers could not find the supposed allocation in either the 2025 or 2026 budget books, suggesting it may have been in the planning stages.
Puno said Congress would not let the issue pass without scrutiny, stressing that such a large sum could not be left unexamined
