AFP to intensify peace, security efforts with combat, intelligence ops —Sobejana

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will enhance its peace and security efforts with combat, civil-military, and intelligence operations, its chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana said on Sunday.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Sobejana said the AFP will review its best practices and rectify mistakes as they continue the campaign against threat groups.

“We will accelerate our peace and security efforts in all aspects,” Sobejana said.

“Hindi lang naman combat ang ginagawa ng ating militar kundi meron din tayong tinatawag na civil-military operations and intelligence operations,” he added.

Earlier, AFP deputy chief of Staff for Intelligence Major General Alex Luna was sacked after publishing an "erroneous list" of alleged members of the New People's Army killed by the state forces.

National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict spokesperson Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. named schools that are supposedly recruitment grounds of communist rebels.

The universities have denied the claims of Parlade.

Asked about the matter, Sobejana clarified that AFP is only a component of the anti-insurgency task force.

“Gusto ko lang linawan na si General Parlade on top of his being the commander of Southern Luzon Command, siya rin po ay spokesperson ng NTF-ELCAC,” he said.

“Kung titignan natin ang structure, ang Armed Forces is just a component of NTF-ELCAC,” he added.

Sobejana said he advised members of the AFP to be careful in sharing information to the public to avoid confusion.

“On my part naman, ang guidance ko, magiging deliberate tayo. We have to exercise due diligence lalo na sa pagsisiwalat ng mga impormasyon. We don’t want to confuse the public,” he said.

Sobejana assumed his post as AFP chief on Thursday.

On Friday, he said he has ordered his men to observe "due diligence" in sharing information to the public amid accusations of red-tagging.

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Saturday said he is hopeful that there would not be a repeat of the recent gaffe, with Sobejana's emphasis on tact and sensitivity.

"I just hope Lieutenant General Sobejana's initial pronouncements will serve as the policy guideline for the AFP," the senator said in a radio interview.

"As much as we try to understand Lieutenant General Parlade, who is very passionate about his work, his timing and the context of his posts were off. They came at a time petitioners against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 raised the issue of 'overbreadth doctrine' where freedom of speech and expression is threatened," he said. —KG, GMA News