Defense of PH territory is President’s top order to new AFP chief

‘SUPERVISION’ President Marcos on Friday witnesses the change of command over the Armed Forces of the Philippines between the new chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (left), and now retired general Andres Centino, whose next assignment is presidential adviser on the West Philippine Sea. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines under its new leader “to ensure the security of Filipinos and the national sovereignty of our country.”

Mr. Marcos made these remarks at a change of command ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo where Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. took over the military’s leadership from now retired general Andres Centino.

Malacañang had announced on Wednesday Brawner’s appointment as the next AFP chief and Centino’s new designation as presidential adviser on the West Philippine Sea.

Mr. Marcos, in his speech, called on the military “to work towards an armed forces that is agile and prepared for any contingency.”

He urged the AFP to work with other government agencies as well as civilian stakeholders “to form archipelagic consciousness amongst Filipinos.”

“This will help champion our country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said.

The President also directed Brawner to “recalibrate our internal security operation” so that the government could deliver public services in isolated communities.

“I know your supervision will give rise to a safer and more secure nation where more rebels return to the fold of the law and decide to be productive citizens,” Mr. Marcos said.

Under Republic Act No. 11939, which the President signed into law on May 17, Brawner will serve a fixed term of three years “unless [that tenure is] sooner terminated by the President.”

That law on the tour of duty and appointments of key AFP personnel serves to amend its earlier version, RA 11709, by extending to another year the retirement age of enlisted personnel, to 57.

‘Unity’

But RA 11709 also sets a fixed term of three years for military chiefs.

Brawner, in his speech, said the military would be guided by five areas under the acronym “Unity”—unification, normalization, internal security operations, territorial defense and the youth.

The acronym, which echoed Mr. Marcos’ slogan in his presidential campaign last year, had also been adopted by a predecessor of Brawner, retired Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro—although the latter’s “Unity” theme stood for unparalleled professionalism, noble utilization of resources, invigorating capability development, tenacity in sustaining gains and yearning for service excellence.

Brawner said he would focus on both internal security—by “defeating the remaining local terrorist groups and the communist terrorist group to attain total victory”—and external security, through which the AFP’s modernization will “enable it to be a lethal and competent fighting force … defending our territory from external aggression.”

The new AFP chief also cited several other priorities, such as securing peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and strengthening the Reserve Officers Training Corps program to develop the youth.

New job

Centino, explaining his new job at a press briefing on Thursday, said “We have the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS). But our leadership has deemed it important to give more focus and importance on the way we address the issues there in a bigger scale. That’s why they thought of creating an office of the presidential adviser.”

But he gave no details as to when that office will be established.

It was the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III that established the interagency NTF-WPS in March 2016, with the National Security Adviser designated as its chair.

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