MANILA, Philippines — The public has a “better appreciation” of what the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is doing now compared to the past, its chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro said on Monday.
Bacarro said this when asked how the AFP could assure the public that they could trust and rely on the armed forces, contrary to former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s martial law era when the institution had a bad reputation due to recorded human rights violations.
“The role of the AFP has not changed. It is stipulated in our constitution that we are the protector of the people,” Bacarro told reporters during an event in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
“Maybe this time, there is a better appreciation of what the Armed Forces of the Philippines is doing, as manifested by the high trust rating and approval that we have been receiving,” he added.
The AFP was voted to be the “best-performing government agency,” according to a survey released by a survey firm in July.
In 2020, the Social Weather Stations also reported that the majority of Filipinos are “satisfied” with the performance of the AFP.
READ: SWS: AFP enjoys rising satisfaction rating, shedding bad image of the past
Bacarro, who was appointed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in August, is the first chief-of-staff of the AFP to be given a fixed three-year term under the Republic Act Np. 11709.
READ: Bacarro assumes post as AFP chief of staff