AFP goes to ‘rescue mode’ once disaster strikes

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—With their top brass one climate change advocate, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is set to go on “disaster response mode” once a calamity strikes.

General Gregorio Pio Catapang, AFP Chief of Staff, said that military troops would become the first responders in any calamity to augment civilian authorities in rescue operations.

“We want to emphasize to our soldiers that (calamities and disasters) is the new war,” Catapang said at Camp Aguinaldo. “We have to prepare and this is something new to us.”

He added that before Super Typhoon “Yolanda” made mincemeat of Eastern Visayas, the military leave disaster response to civilian authorities.

“Before, we leave it to the civilians, but as of the changing times we cannot leave it all to the civilians, because they themselves are also affected,” Catapang said.

When a major disaster strikes, the AFP would coordinate with the Office for Civil Defense and put up humanitarian and disaster response coordinating centers with troops manning different stations and desks.

With Undersecretary Alexander Pama, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Administrator, at the site of a major disaster, Catapang said that President Benigno Aquino III need not be present in the site.
“President Aquino would not anymore go to the site, we will report to him and brief him directly on the situation,” Catapang said.

He added the AFP would set up the desks for the possible eruption of Mayon Volcano and all the troops in the area would go to “disaster response mode.”

With their plan nearing its implementation, Catapang said that he has tasked the General Headquarters of the AFP to procure satellite phones for better communication between them and the troops in disaster areas.

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