CEBU CITY, Philippines – Top guns of the Department of National
Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assembled
here on Friday for a closed-door conference to tackle the country’s
internal and territorial security threats.
The mounting tension in the country’s territorial waters in the West
Philippine Sea (South China Sea) was foremost in the agenda.
Dubbed as Commanders’ Forum and Midyear Assessment held in the
tightly guarded MIP Lounge of Mactan International Airport, the daylong
conference hosted by the AFP’s Central Command was presided by AFP chief
of staff Gen. Jessie Dellosa.
Only the three major service commanders, unified commanders and the AFP Joint Staff were allowed to attend.
The conference with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin as guest
speaker was aimed at setting parameters on international security
operations.
“The AFP aims to lay down a yardstick on its internal security
operations in line with the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP)
Bayanihan,” AFP spokesman Col. Marcelo Burgos Jr. said.
Burgos said that wide-ranging topics were discussed, including an
update on the country’s territorial defense as well as the AFP ongoing
capability upgrade program.
Administrative matters such as the continuing adherence to reform
initiatives in AFP procurement, resource allocation and management,
peacekeeping operations and information technology systems to enhance
campaign execution and directives dissemination, were also taken up.
Burgos said Dellosa stressed the importance of addressing the
internal armed threats soonest in lieu of the security developments in
the West Philippine Sea.
The STAR, however, learned that Western Command (Wescom) chief Lt.
Gen. Juancho Sabban discussed before his peers and other top defense and
military leaders the prevailing security situation in the West
Philippine Sea brought about by the aggressive behavior of China in
laying its claim of the entire South China Sea as an integral part of
its maritime domain.
Aside from territorial and internal security, topics also tackled
were the military’s capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster
response considering the country’s geo-hazard risks and vulnerability
to man-made and natural calamities.
Gazmin informed military commanders that his department is doing its
priority upgrade programs to address many security challenges that the
country is facing.
“At the end of the conference, the participants came to a consensual
agreement on the appropriate directives and plans for successful
implementation of new and refined policies vital in resolving all
pressing security issues,” Burgos said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jaime Laude | The Philippine Star | July 22, 2012 | Article Link
No comments:
Post a Comment