‘Cohesive’ AFP ready for new challenges

By: Bong Lozada - 11 years ago

he Armed Forces of the Philippines conducted a Command Conference with its senior military leaders headed by its Chief of Staff, General Emmanuel T. Bautista to assess the country’s security environment in the past year and set the AFP’s outlook for 2014, today at the GHQ Building, here in Camp Aguinaldo./ PHOTO FROM AFP PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MANILA, Philippines – From one tumultuous year to the next. After a problem-ridden 2013, the “cohesive” Armed Forces of the Philippines is ready to face the new challenges of 2014.

“We must consolidate our gains and sustain our momentum,” AFP Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista said during the Command Conference at Camp Aguinaldo this Friday.

In its yearend report, the AFP highlighted its successful campaign against the enforcement of a five-year plan of the New Peoples’ Army to expand its power and influence.

The AFP claimed that it got rid of communist activities in 16 more provinces that increased the number of communist-free provinces to 43 of 64 in the country, the latest being Pamanga.

A total of 824 NPA rebels were neutralized while 425 firearms were confiscated in 2013.

The Armed Forces also expressed victory over the rogue members of the Moro National Liberation Front with 502 rebels neutralized, 208 killed, 24 surrenderees and 270 captured during the Zamboanga siege in September.

A total of 324 firearms were also confiscated from the rogue MNLF members.

But despite the Zamboanga victory, the AFP also suffered a sizeable loss of 20 casualties while 177 were wounded.

According to the AFP, the rogue rebels do not represent the whole MNLF and the siege would not hamper the peace talks between the government and the group.

Continuing the peace

Amid the brouhaha on the Zamboanga siege and the fight against leftist rebels, the AFP has not forgotten the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

According to the report, the AFP and the MILF are nearing a “final peace agreement.”

The two parties have signed three annex agreements, Transition Modalities, Wealth Sharing and Power Sharing, while the Annex for Normalization is still under negotiation.

“In the face of adversity, the cohesiveness of the entire AFP will always be our best assurance.”