Brawner: Marcos wants AFP able to defend PH for 30 days before allies help

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the Philippine military to be able to defend the country on its own when conflict erupts, as help from ally countries may take time, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Tuesday.

According to Chino Gaston’s report in “24 Oras” on Tuesday, Brawner said that the chief executive wants the AFP to be able to fight for up to a month before reinforcements arrive.

“Ang utos ng ating Pangulo, si President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is that we will, we should be able to fight and preserve our forces for at least ano 20, 20 days hanggang 30 days. We are expecting that ‘pag nagkagulo ano. Siyempre, tayo muna ang makikipag-gyera, and then but we are expecting also reinforcements or help from our ally, and this is under the Mutual Defense Treaty,” the AFP chief said.

(The order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is that we should be able to fight and preserve our forces for at least 20 to 30 days. We expect that if a conflict arises. Of course, we will first fight, and we are expecting also reinforcements or help from our ally, and this is under the Mutual Defense Treaty.)

The annual AFP Joint Military Exercise DAGIT-PA (Dagat, Lupa, at Langit, or Sea, Land, and Sky) focuses on gearing up members of the AFP, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, and other uniformed services in the possibility of an attack.

Meanwhile, AFP's capabilities have also been strengthened through the purchase of FA-50 fighter jets, frigates from South Korea, an air defense system from Japan, and missile systems from India through the modernization program.

But Brawner said that such assets are still not enough.

“We have the capability, kayang kaya natin i-defend, depensahan ng ating bansa. Pero ang sinasabi ko po, kulang pa, kulang pa. Because if we consider the entire archipelago, ay hindi kaya nung current na kagamitan natin na i-cover yung entire archipelago,” he said.

(We have the capability, we can very much defend, defend our country. But what I am saying is, it's still not enough. Because if we consider the entire archipelago, our current equipment cannot cover the entire archipelago.)

The Philippines is also entering into defense agreements with other countries. For instance, the country has joint military exercises with the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

And with the Philippines as a partner, America, Japan, and Australia announced their support for the formation of an Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Cooperation Council that will include the four countries.

In their meeting during the recent ASEAN Defense Ministers' Summit, the defense secretaries of the Philippines, America, Japan, and Australia once again emphasized their concern over China's destabilization in the South China Sea.

The defense leaders are also awaiting Balikatan 2026, which will include the four countries in order to intensify joint preparedness in the region. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/MCG/NB, GMA Integrated News