New AFP chief orders stepped up campaign vs threat groups
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 14:37:00 05/13/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- The new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) directed military commanders on Tuesday to "accelerate and step up" military operations against threat groups.
At the same time, Lieutenant General Alexander Yano vowed stricter implementation of physical fitness tests (PFT) as a prerequisite to promotions and new assignments.
Yano presided over his first command conference in Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, a day after he took over from retired general Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
"I will issue the guidance, the directives to them [commanders] to accelerate, even step up, our operations particularly in the priority areas," Yano told reporters before the closed-door conference.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has given security forces until 2010 to "defeat" the communist New People's Army, "destroy" Al Qaeda-linked extremist groups, and "contain" the Moro secessionist rebellion.
"We will continue with our internal security operations. The implementing plans, the operational directives, and guidance of the former chief of staff will be pursued," Yano said.
"At this point, we are on track and the accomplishments are good. I don't see any reason to change at this time," he said.
Esperon retired with the AFP in the thick of Oplan Bantay Laya (Freedom Watch) 2, the second phase of the military's internal security operations blueprint, which combines combat and humanitarian efforts.
At the end of the first quarter of this year, the strength of the NPA was estimated at 5,470, while the Abu Sayyaf group was estimated at 360.
Before the command conference, Yano presided over turnover ceremonies for the new deputy chief of staff, Lieutenant General Rodrigo Maclang, and the new deputy chief of staff for Operations or J3, Brigadier Reneral Romeo Lustestica.
"What is certain is we will vigorously push fore the conduct of the physical fitness test, not only in GHQ [general headquarters] but AFP-wide," Yano said.
"I hope that should be clear to all of us, as a prerequisite for designation to key positions, promotions, any rank, any major service regardless…it has been a requirement for everybody to…be generally fit for the military service," he said.
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