Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The military is in “gradual transition” of its operations to territorial defense this 2014.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista, however, emphasized that they will continue to address internal security threats even it starts its transition to territorial defense.
“We will continue to address- it’s part of our mandate- internal security issues until appropriate agencies of government are capable,” he told reporters on Monday.
By 2016, the military targets the completion of its anti-insurgency Internal Peace Security Plan Bayanihan. This campaign is a multi-sectoral approach in ending insurgency problem in the country that is anchored on “winning the peace.”
“We will sustain Bayanihan, [but also we] appeal to our people that internal conflicts be put to an end because there are more pressing concerns, urgent concerns that we need to address. We are witness to Yolanda, climate change. We are witness to our problems in the West Philippine Sea and many more,” he added.
Communist rebels are estimated to be around 4,000.
As for the military’s territorial defense, where the Philippines faces external conflict with China, Bautista also highlighted its “peaceful” approach but is also prepared for other scenarios.
“We would like to resolve conflicts in the most peaceful manner, it applies internally and also externally. We will continue to pursue that national policy, without saying that we will not prepare for any contingencies and we will do that. We will prepare for any contingencies that is why we have the modernization program,” he said.
Bautista is set to retire in July, but assured that military campaigns will continue.
“Whoever is in command we follow the template of our strategic direction. That is already set…We will just sustain them whoever is in the leadership,” he said.
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