MikeLigalig.com

The year 2010 saw the Armed Forces of the Philippines accomplish milestones after milestones in the performance of its duties and responsibilities throughout the country as it looks forward to a bright new year.

Significant among these feats is ensuring an honest, orderly and peaceful May 2010 presidential and local elections that paved the way for the assumption of Benigno Aquino III as the President and the commander-in-chief of the 120,000-strong Armed Forces.

Casted with doubts, the military establishment redeemed its image from its lackluster role in the 2004 elections that generated ugly allegations that it took in the cheating of the results of that political exercise.

It put up its Task Force Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections (HOPE) a few months before the elections and took off to a good start, containing armed groups that threaten to supplant the right of the people to elect their true leaders.

The AFP also made moves to ensure that no one among its officers and men would be accused or get involved in any partisan political activity. Had it embroiled in another controversy, it would have lost its credibility.

Three months later, the military also played significant role for a sound synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections even if it was pursuing relief and rehabilitation efforts in Isabela that was devastated by typhoon Juan.

With the new President taking the oath of office on June 30, the military also saw changes in leadership on July 1 and in other key positions. The incumbent AFP chief, Gen. Ricardo David, made great strides to keep the military and its troops aboveboard.

Initially, the position met some criticisms from some sectors who alleged that the postings were product of what they described as “prostituted” promotion system. The military leadership confronted this issue in public and succeeded in doing so.

Up to this time, AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said these changes were part of the dynamics in the military to keep pace with the changing environment.

“The AFP is a dynamic and highly institutionalized organization. It has to keep pace with the constantly changing factors that greatly affect the affairs of the military establishment. Changes in the leadership and key command positions is just part and parcel of the dynamics of the institution,” said Mabanta.

“Everything goes through a rigid but clearly defined procedures. Placing the right man for the right job has been the primordial concern in the selection process.

Professionalism, competence, character and service reputation are among the criteria being considered in this regard. Favoritism like the ‘bata bata system’ is taboo and is never practiced in the military,” said Mabanta.

While the military accomplished many feats in 2010, the military is also looking forward to a better 2011 especially as they are enforcing starting January 1 its Bayanihan –the AFP’s new internal peace and security plan.

Bayanihan replaces Oplan Bantay Laya II, the military campaign plan enforced by the military for four years.

Progressive groups blamed Bantay Laya II as responsible for the rash of extra judicial killings and enforced disappearances.

The military said Bayanihan will give primacy to the respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.

Also, the military said that under Bayanihan, civic action programs will be undertaken unlike the combat operations-filled Bantay Laya II.

"The year 2011 promises to be a an important and crucial one for the AFP. Effective January 1st, 2011, the Internal Peace and Security Plan or IPSP or Bayanihan will be implemented by the AFP. Although its duration is six years that is from 2011 until 2016, its effectiveness and success is predicated or can already be felt on the first year of implementation,” said Mabanta.

“Since the IPSP calls for a whole nation approach in ending the insurgency problem, it is expected that there will be more Civil Military Operations activities that will be conducted in cooperation with the local chief executives, government agencies, non-government organizations and business groups,” added Mabanta.

Against the various threat groups, the military continued to gain headway in reducing the strength of the communist New People’s Army in 2010.

The military dealt numerous blows to the NPA in the field of operations although the rebel group managed to score against the military a few times.

The military placed the NPA’s strength at just 4,700 even as it acknowledged that the rebel group remains to be the primary threat to the country’s peace and security. The NPA’s strength is the all-time low from a peak of 25,000 in the 1980s.

On the other hand, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has about 10,500 fighters who are felt in 18 percent of the 9,962 barangays in Mindanao. The MILF rebels are concentrated mostly in Central Mindanao, specifically in Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte.

The NPA and the MILF have shown interest on resuming formal peace negotiations with the Aquino administration. Talks with the NPA bogged down in 2004 while the negotiations with the MILF hit the impasse in 2008.

Government forces are also addressing other armed groups, to include rogue members of the Moro National Liberation Front which signed a peace accord with government in 1996, the local terrorist group Abu Sayyaf and the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.

Under Bayanihan, the AFP is trying to reach an end state of reducing the strength of NPA, the MILF and the other threat groups to a level where they can no longer affect the stability of the country “and civil authorities can ensure the safety and well-being of the Filipino people."

The AFP said the end state can be attained through the following strategic objectives: contribute to the success of the peace process; maintain a professional armed forces serving under firm democratic control; defeat the ASG, JI and their allied armed threat groups; contribute to the resolution of conflict with the NPA, MILF and other armed threat groups; contribute to the establishment of conditions for civil authorities to take responsibility for the safety and well-being of their constituents; and support developmental, environmental protection, disaster risk reduction and management, and law enforcement activities.

“The varied means and motivations of the various armed threat groups require nuanced approaches to address the distinct challenges they pose to internal peace and security. The focus of this plan is on effects-based operations that are tailored for each of the armed threat groups,” the Bayanihan read.

Bayanihan, copies of which were handed by the military to the media, said the military will focus on the defeat of the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah in line with the government’s non-negotiation policy with terrorist groups.

“For secessionist groups like the MILF, the projected national end-state is a negotiated political settlement within the bounds of the Philippine constitution to attain the conditions for a just and lasting peace in Mindanao,” the Bayanihan read.

“Against the NPA, the AFP’s internal peace and security initiatives shall focus on rendering the NPA irrelevant, with the communist insurgency abandoning the armed struggle and ultimately engaging in peace negotiations with the government,” it added.

Under the new internal peace and security plan, the military is hoping to address from 2011 up to 2013 the armed elements of these threats.

“The substantial completion of the AFP’s objectives for the first three years will allow it to devote the remaining years (2014 to 2016) to handing over the lead role in ensuring internal peace and security to appropriate government agencies and eventually allowing the AFP to initiate its transition to a territorial defense focused force,” the Bayanihan added.

In a holiday message, the AFP chief said: “The men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines have always been paragons of selfless sacrifice, upon which the profession of arms is predicated.”

David said soldiers, as the protectors of the people, braved the demands of the life they choose so that others can continuously enjoy a life of freedom and liberty.

“We give up our personal comforts and, when circumstances demand it, we willingly dedicate our lives so that others may succeed in their pursuit of happiness,” said David.

“We are called to dispense public service by efficiently doing our traditional and non-traditional roles, which we do with humility and enthusiasm until our course is run.

In fulfilling our oaths, let us always be guided by the ideals of respect to human rights and strict adherence to the rule of law, for only then can we truly be soldiers of God and His people,” added David. (PNA Feature)

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