In this file photo, Philippine Army (PA) troops listen as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks during the 126th founding anniversary of the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio. Marcos went to Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City on Thursday, May 16, 2024. He urged soldiers from the PA’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID): “Times are changing, and we are facing new threats now to our nation’s security. The battlefield is changing. It will go beyond traditional warfighting as we have known it.” INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Army (PA) was encouraged to upgrade its skills as the country faces a shifting battleground that “will go beyond traditional warfighting.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. went to Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City on Thursday and urged soldiers from the PA’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID):
“Times are changing, and we are facing new threats now to our nation’s security. The battlefield is changing; it will go beyond traditional warfighting as we have known it.”
“I call on you to develop the skills that are going to be required to combat these new forms of warfare, including those that extend up to the digital realm,” he added.
READ: Marcos: We won’t allow ‘agents within the country’ to destabilize gov’t
A Palace statement released Friday also said Marcos warned the troops against false narratives and disinformation.
The President believed that enemies may infiltrate communities and government institutions.
“We will be ready to fight back and implement countermeasures to thwart any of their nefarious schemes and attempts,” he said.
Marcos issued the remarks amid rumors of a plot to destabilize his administration.
Former senator Antonio Trillanes III alleged that ranking police and military officials were scheming to remove Marcos from the presidency.
Marcos has been visiting provinces to distribute aid to El Niño-devastated communities and holding command conferences with the PA and Philippine Air Force.