SINGAPORE — The Philippine air force (PAF) plans to purchase maritime patrol aircraft, a move that comes after maritime security became a higher priority for the government. This is the service’s No. 1 priority for aircraft purchases, says a senior PAF official, who spoke to Aviation Week on the sidelines of the Imdex naval defense show in Singapore. “It has not been decided how many, but we would like it to be at least three or four aircraft,” the official says. 

From Jane`s in June 2015:

Philippines looking to acquire ex-Japanese P-3Cs

Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - IHS Jane's Defence Industry
25 June 2015
The Philippines is looking to acquire a number of ex-Japanese P-3C maritime patrol aircraft, such as this one seen in service in the Gulf of Aden. Source: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) is looking to acquire from Japan second-hand Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, DND spokesman Peter Paul G Galvez told IHS Jane's on 26 June.
Galvez said the P-3C is required by the Philippines to enhance maritime security and confirmed that the aircraft could meet a stated requirement within the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
Earlier this week the PAF announced its mid-term force modernisation programme - called Flight Plan 2028 - in which it said it wanted to acquire four long-range patrol aircraft before 2022.
Galvez said that there is no specific time-frame for the acquisition, which would require US export approval, but that the Philippines is looking to acquire maritime patrol capabilities "as soon as possible". He also stressed that the number of P-3Cs that the Philippines wanted to acquire, and by which service they would be operated, has yet to be determined.
"The acquisition is currently in the planning stage," he said. "We have not decided [which service would operate the aircraft] but it could be the air force to meet its patrol aircraft requirement."
He added that as part of the DND's planning process it was assessing the country's capacity to operate P-3C as well as provide adequate maintenance and operational support for the aircraft.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) currently operates around 70 P-3Cs, with most of these produced under licence by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in the 1980s. The JMSDF plans to replace the P-3C platform with the Kawasaki P-1, the first two examples of which were inducted into service in 2013. The JMSDF plans to procure 70 P-1 Aircraft.