Stakeholders involvement necessary for success in AFP's security plan — Army chief

After the first year of implementation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Internal Peace and Security Plan, the country's security has improved, but stakeholders must contribute in order for the six-year plan to be successful.

 

"Many Filipinos choose to remain with the silent majority, but to be able to win the peace, we need everybody to speak out their minds, to declare that we are for peace rather than continuing conflict. We need the involvement of our stakeholders," said Philippine Army chief Lt. General Emmanuel Bautista at a stakeholder's reassessment of the IPSP Bayanihan at the Ateneo de Manila University last Wednesday.

 

According to Bautista, the security situation is "much improved," with a decline in armed violence initiated by the New People's Army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. According to information provided by the Ateneo de Manila School of Social Sciences Working Group on Security Sector Reform, military statistics show that NPA and MILF armed violence were lesser by 11 and 56 percent, respectively, in 2011 as compared with 2010 figures. The government is holding peace negotiations with both armed groups, although talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines have remained stalled since 2004.   

 

Bautista also cited the United Nations periodic review on human rights, which specifically cited the IPSP Bayanihan.

 

"This is a significant milestone in our operations where even the international community expresses their appreciation and recognition for our campaign plan," he said.

 

On the other hand, Bautista identified gaps that need to be adressed, focusing on the need to involve all the stakeholders. Bautista said that everyone has a role in keeping the peace, from students to security guards.

 

"By simply expressing their desire that 'We prefer peace, not armed struggle' is a significant contribution already. When security guards maintain a peaceful environment in their places of work, that is a very significant contribution already to winning the peace," he said. From internal to external defense

 

Through the IPSP, the AFP aims to shift from internal to external defense. "Eventually the plan really is to transfer our internal peace and security to the PNP," explained National Security Council Deputy Director General Vicente M. Agdamag during the conference.

 

The SSR working group emphasized that there is a need for a national policy on internal security that will clarify the roles of local government units, PNP, and the AFP. 

 

"The internal security operation is the biggest block that prevents the military from improving on its other mission areas," explained Dr. Jennifer Oreta, convenor of the SSR working group.

 

Oreta noted that apart from internal security operations, the military is expected to contribute to disaster preparedness, humanitarian assistance, assistance to national development, and territorial defense.

 

"The internal security operations actually obligates a lot of the resources and energy of the organization. As long as the military is at the forefront of ISO, it cannot be effective in addressing its other mission areas," said Oreta.

 

She said that the issue of armed conflict cannot be answered by the military alone. "This is where the convergence of the political electoral reform and the security agenda comes in," she said.

 

The SSR working group explained that the overall objective of the IPSP is for the capabilities of internal armed threat groups to be reduced to a level that they can no longer threaten the stability of the state and civil authorities can ensure the safety and well-being of the Filipino people. No more Cafgus in the future?

 

According to Bautista, Cafgus and other militia groups will be dismantled in the future.

 

"That is not a characteristic of a peaceful democratic country, where we have militias... We want to move forward towards that condition where there will be no need for Cafgus. As the security situation improves and as the different communities declare that we don't need these security forces anymore then we will dismantle the Cafgus," he said, adding that there are between 50,000 to 60,000 Cafgus.

 

Bautista said for now, they are only allowed to hire Cafgus, and they are unable to increase their regular forces due to budgetary constraints. — RSJ, GMA News