AFP announces new security plan

January 7, 2017

A new security plan to cope with internal threats to replace the one that expired last December is now in effect, the military said Friday.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said Development Support and Security Plan Kapayapaan is the “blueprint as how the AFP will conduct its campaign.” It replaced Internal Peace and  Security Plan Bayanihan which expired on Dec 31.

Bayanihan centered on the improving military’s relations with the community. President Rodrigo Duterte, during the anniversary of the AFP last Dec 21, said Bayanihan gave the military a better image , “moral high against the threat groups and the decrease of human rights violations of our troops.”

The new security plan was presented during the first quarter command conference of the AFP  by General Eduardo Año, the AFP chief of staff. Attending were national security stakeholders including the chairman of the implementing panel for the Bangsamoro and peace accords.

"He was clear, concise, and direct in his pronouncement that the top priority of the AFP under his leadership shall be the destruction of the terrorist groups of the ASG , Maute Group, BIFF, and other foreign and local terrorist groups,” said Arevalo in a statement.

The Abu Sayyaf are holding 27 hostages, according to the military.

The Maute Group, which is based in central Mindanao and professes allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) , has emerged as a  threat last year.

To achieve this,  Año declares, “Apart from the conduct of focused combat operations employing the wherewithals of the AFP, I desire that we enhance stakeholder engagement to ensure robust participation of the religious sector and local government.”

“From our end, I want everyone here to exercise the highest degree of Commandership. After all, the most important element of combat power is Leadership. Do and give your best and together we will create a winning team and get the job done.

Año said the military will give priority to  assigning of the “best officers, enlisted soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines, to frontline units.

“And as such, we must take care of them. While we endeavor to give them the fighting edge, it is as essential that we increase their survivability rate,” he said. Año said the military  “ will be fully committed to the primacy of the peace process guided by the President’s Roadmap to Peace.”

He added that the military “ will support fully the government’s war on drugs and shall extend full support to the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies both in terms of personnel and intelligence.” DMS