President Marcos has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to find new ways to deal with communist rebels, terrorist groups, threats in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), and natural disasters.
In the WPS, the government will develop the islands that it considers part of its territory to make them more habitable for the troops.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said President Marcos issued the order when he presided over the military command conference in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday.
“He said that we needed to reconfigure our approaches to dealing with different threat groups,” Brawner said.
Brawner said Mr. Marcos did not give specific instructions regarding these matters as the President does not want to micromanage the military organization.
The plans come amid heightened tensions between the Philippines and China, both of whom claim sole rights over the territories in the South China Sea and have traded accusations of aggressive behavior in the strategic waterway.
Apart from the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin, the Philippines occupies eight other features in the South China Sea such as Lawak Island and Pag-Asa Island, and considers them part of its exclusive economic zone.
“We’d like to improve all nine, especially the islands we are occupying,” Brawner said.
The features include Thitu Island, the biggest and most strategically important in the South China Sea. Known locally as Pag-asa, Thitu lies about 480 kilometers west of the province of Palawan.
The military wants to bring a desalination machine for troops living aboard a warship that the Philippines deliberately grounded on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert its sovereignty claim, he said.
On the communist front, Brawner said the threat posed by the New People’s Army (NPA) had decreased to 11, with about 1,500 members left.
Even in this weakened state, however, he said the rebels are a force to be reckoned with.
Besides the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam have competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, a conduit for goods in excess of $3 trillion every year.
Also included in the military’s modernization plans is the acquisition of more ships, radar, and aircraft as the Philippines shifts its focus to territorial from internal defense, Brawner said.
Also on Monday, the National Security Council (NSC) said more allies are expected to join the Philippines in its patrol activities in the WPS.
“There will be joint patrols in the future with countries like Japan and Australia, which showed support to our country,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said in a radio interview.
Earlier this month, the United States deployed some of its vessels, including the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-71), during the second “maritime cooperative activity” with the Philippines in the WPS.
During the activity, the AFP deployed Philippine Navy vessels BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PS-15), BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16), and BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602).
Aside from the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-71), the US Indo-Pacific Command also deployed a cruiser, two destroyers, and multiple combat aircraft.
“This sends a very strong signal to China that we have many allies,” Malaya said.
He said he hoped future resupply missions in the WPS will proceed smoothly.
“We will continue to protect and defend our sovereignty. There have been no major harassments made in other supply missions, but the critical [issue] for us is the BRP Sierra Madre and the Ayungin Shoal,” he added.