Speech of

 

 SECRETARY GILBERTO C. TEODORO, JR.

Guest of Honor and Speaker

Manila Overseas Press Club Defense Night

Grand Ballroom, Inter-Continental Manila

20 September 2007

  To respond to Mr. Lopez’ first part of his speech, I would respond with an anecdote. When we had the turn-over ceremony at the DND, my predecessor, the Officer-in-Charge then, Sec. Bert Gonzales, who held the reins of the Department for one month, said he felt that he was John the Baptist announcing the coming of myself, and he said that he hope that what befell John the Baptist not befall him. John the Baptist was decapitated and Jesus Christ was crucified. I hope that will not happen.

It is my distinct honor to join the distinguished members of the Manila Overseas Press Club for this special occasion, the Defense Night. Allow me therefore to thank each and every one of you, once again, for the kind invitation. 

  Indeed, I welcome this privilege to speak before this distinguished group of intellectuals and opinion makers in the country, as this allows me the opportunity to outline the Department’s programs and priority thrusts towards a stronger national defense. 

The foundations of a strong national defense have been laid down by my predecessors, first by no less than the President herself, Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who acted as Defense Secretary, and by those who had served as Secretary before me.

Philippine Defense Reform Program

And I refer particularly to the Philippine Defense Reform Program, or P-D-R, which is the blueprint and the foundation of a stronger, rational, and strategy based national defense policy.  My predecessors have initiated this program; my task now is to ensure its speedy implementation.

A significant component of PDR is the Capability Upgrade Program, or C-U-P, which we intend to fast track while ensuring transparency-mainly through the introduction of private sector representatives in the different Bids and Awards Committees, or B-A-C-s.  Under the C-U-P, priority items will be procured, like night fighting equipment, squad automatic weapons, and bullet-proof vests, to name a few, to improve the fighting capability and the protection of our frontline troops thus minimizing casualties in the field.

A total of 34 priority items are included in the reprioritized list of the armed forces in phase 1; 62 items in phase 2; and 39 items in phase 2B.However, our modernization program of the armed forces also means, that we have to ensure readiness of the equipment we acquire.  In this regard, we believe that there must be the political will, particularly by those who hold power of the purse to allocate more    funds    for the armed forces, since modernization does not end with the acquisition of new equipment. concomitantly, (with the acquisition of new equipment), we have to develop our personnel’s proficiency in operating such equipment.

Indeed, defense reforms will not only be in the acquisition of military equipment and hardware but also in the formulation of doctrines, human resource development, such as training, schooling, and most importantly, the total development of our most precious assets – the military and civilian personnel of the DND-AFP because we want to provide our soldiers the proper mindset to make them an effective fighting force.

Along this line, the AFP is fine-tuning its doctrines and tactics to ensure that our soldiers are truly responsive to the various threats facing the country today.   You can provide the soldiers with the latest weaponry but if they cannot find, fix, fight and win decisively against the threats to society, then their efforts and sacrifices are in vain.

Similarly, we are also giving equal importance to the spiritual and moral development of our soldiers, to make them god-fearing and well- rounded fighting force, thereby making them more effective. 

Further, we are placing a premium, (and I have always reiterated this), on quality education, both local and foreign, of our personnel, particularly the younger personnel and junior officers.

I will work decisively to ensure that quality education is provided to junior officers in the armed forces.

Training in foreign shores shall be realized through the generous help of our allied nations.   This is important to broaden the perspectives of our junior officers, as they shall be the corps to sustain the reforms and professionalism in the AFP.  This will ensure a stable foundation for the future of the armed forces.

We are also undertaking measures to institute career paths for our civilian personnel for their personal and professional advancement, while implementing the rationalization schemes required of us by the DBM.  We will also attempt to enhance their capabilities to make them more responsive to the demands of a more dynamic national defense environment.

These undertakings are the continuing thrusts of the Department and I hope to plant the seeds of achieving these goals during my tenure.

         Defense and Armed Forces as One Team

Hand-in-hand with the professionalization of our military and civilian personnel is the development of what we call the DND-AFP one-team concept.  

            Mr. Lopez mentioned awhile ago that more than half of people in this room are men and women in uniform; and I thank them very much because of the support they are showing me today and I will do no less than to show that support to them whenever they shall need it in the future. This is the essence of our one team concept. 

Under this concept, both the Department and its agency, the AFP, shall mutually reinforce each other in serving and defending the Filipino people with greater synergy, efficiency and integrity. We will strive to continue the unity that is present in the armed forces today, as we cannot afford divisions and factionalism within our ranks.   For only a truly united DND-AFP going in one direction can truly address the various security challenges facing the country today. 

            The DND provides policy directions that would enhance the armed forces’ capability to effectively and efficiently accomplish its various missions. We do not interfere with the AFP’s operational undertakings. We give due importance to the chain of command as this is the vital link, especially for our Commander-in-Chief, in the feedback mechanism for well-informed and sound judgments and decision-making. 

            It is the role of the Secretary of National Defense to motivate key players in the defense and military establishment towards this one-team concept. At the same time, we attempt to raise the morale and welfare of our personnel, to include the veterans and their families by giving them best care as possible. Soldiers will likewise be provided decent housing through Kawal Kalinga.   

            We may have a long way to go in improving the morale of our personnel, but we have initiated the process.  Our major services – the air force, navy and army – have peculiar needs that must be addressed in order for us to have a stronger defense posture. 

Likewise, because we try to balance out these differences, we have implemented the President’s directive on additional collateral pay for combat duties for our ground troops and we have enhanced the capabilities of our military treatment facilities. This is our way, a small but significant way of reciprocating their selfless sacrifice in serving our country. 

On veterans affairs, the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, or  PVAO, was able to pay a substantial part of its arrears due to the release by the president of a supplemental budget, which was complemented by (this is very important) the revalidation of qualified pensioners. 

            On the other hand, our armed forces, right now, is confronting threats not traditionally in the domain of external defense. We are facing a threat to society that is ideological and political in nature, requiring new counter measures. 

            Thus, I have directed the department to study the revision of the document called the defense planning guidance, to reflect the realities in the field.   as Sir Michael Howard, a British military historian, has said and I quote, “in structuring and preparing an army for war, you can be clear that you will not get it precisely right, but the important thing is not to be too far wrong, so that you can put it right quickly.” unquote. 

In this regard, I have instructed our defense team to provide a constant feedback and replanning process based on current internal and environmental threats.  The process will require immediate feedback from the field commanders in order to have a coherent strategy and plan especially to achieve the order of the president which is attain a strategic victory against the communist terrorists not later than 2010. 

            We will continue to conduct operations against the Abu Sayyaf groups, lawless elements and communist terrorists.  It has been said that in terms of communist revolution it devours its own children. And it is true that their former leaders are subject to being killed by their own comrades due to the continuing power struggle within the party. This confirms the need of addressing this threat to end violent acts done in an anti-democratic way.  

            As part of the overall efforts towards lasting peace and stability, we also fully support the amnesty program of the President to give an option to those who may have second thoughts in staying with the local communist movement, but hesitate to return to society for fear that they may face a jail term or some other penalty.  We would like to give the ‘moderates’ in the local communist movement one more chance to lead a peaceful life and contribute to the good of the country. 

Likewise, there is also a need to continue and to strengthen the I-S-O operations against the Abu Sayyaf group, or A-S-G.  Despite the difficulty in apprehending Abu Sayyaf group who has split into smaller groups to avoid detection, we believe that with our current focused operations against them and with the support of the communities, the local government units, the non-governmental organizations, and the people themselves in the affected areas, we will prevail.  Our armed forces will pursue them relentlessly and we will work to bring them before the bar of justice. 

The Armed Forces in Nation-Building

At the same time, we will vigorously support the president’s instructions to fast track the development in certain areas of conflict as an essential part of a holistic strategy to finally eradicate insurgency in the country or even separatism for that matter.  

            In this regard, three engineering battalions were recently deployed in the islands of Basilan and Sulu to undertake various infrastructure projects to jumpstart the economic development of the two islands. 

            The AFP will be implementing the organization of the AFP national development command, or a-f-p-n-d-c, which will centrally manage and strategically direct the armed forces major development efforts.  This will be the main AFP unit that will coordinate and conduct development activities in support of national goals and i-s-o. 

We also believe that a major beneficial effect of the developmental command, more than building any road, bridge, school, house, water pump, (and I have repeated this time and again) is that we are building relationships and goodwill in the various areas which we serve. Most importantly, the lasting relationship we establish between and among our countrymen, which we serve, is more worthy than its weight in gold.  

Our continuing efforts towards lasting peace and stability will be given a big boost with the acquisition of military hardware for the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Navy.  Given the archipelagic nature of the Philippines, there is also a very strong need to strengthen our capabilities to patrol 34,000 kilometers of our coastlines using the ships of the navy and the reconnaissance planes of the air force, which can swiftly project force over hundreds of nautical miles to service our territorial waters. 

            We must also monitor and help apprehend, in coordination with the other law enforcement authorities, persons engaged in activities, such as smuggling of aliens into the country, illegal fishing, particularly poaching of our country’s protected marine and wildlife species, and the exploitation of our other marine resources and the like.  Also, our southern area is especially prone to the incursions of terrorists, smugglers, and pirates.               

            As a deterrent to the illegal activities in our southern backdoor, we have established Coast Watch South stations to coordinate the collection and dissemination of information in order to maintain maritime situational awareness in the southern Philippines.  In addition, the Coast Watch South stations would enhance the Philippine Navy’s capability to conduct surveillance and interdiction against the various threats that are taking advantage of our porous borders.          

            We are maximizing the use of our sea and air assets by readily switching their roles from supporting our troops in Internal Security Operations, or I-S-O, assisting our law enforcement agencies in apprehending criminal elements, to performing disaster, relief and rescue operations during emergencies and calamities.  We are also utilizing our aircraft and sea vessels for the transport of construction materials for school buildings and bridges. As part of the supporting role of DND-AFP to nation-building activities (the latest cargo of the Philippine Air Force, the C-130, flew fruits from the island of Sulu because people in Sulu were complaining that there is no way to bring their products to the markets and in coordination with red cross and the department of trade, we were able to assist them.)   

            The Youth in Nation-Building 

            We would also like our mainstream youth to contribute to nation-building, more specifically in the strengthening of our reserve force, through the ROTC program.  Unfortunately, the ROTC program has been made optional and the manpower from which the AFP taps its reserve force has been greatly degraded, which has serious ramifications in ensuring our national stability and security. 

            In this regard, we would like an enlightened discussion with the stakeholders on the merits of the re-imposition of the ROTC program. 

            There is a very strong need to strengthen our reserve force as we cannot afford a very large standing army.  The national defense act has envisioned a lean regular force but with a large reserve force that can be tapped in case of war or national emergencies but now a mandatory pool of reservists has been marginalized. 

            Towards this end, I have recently requested the AFP to study the possibility of providing ROTC scholarships and direct commissioning of reservists as regular officers particularly those who are qualified scholars.   For instance, college students, in return for their scholarships, may sign a contract to serve whether as officers of the armed forces, if they qualify, or as enlisted men or women, if they do not. 

            Finally, we cannot have a stronger defense posture forces if we are not willing to allocate more resources to make it happen. We are spending only 0.9 % of our gross domestic product on national defense, which is one of the lowest in Asia and the world. 

            While it may be costly to maintain a stronger national defense posture, and a stronger armed forces, it is imperative that we bear and shoulder the cost to ensure a defense establishment that is truly responsive to the peculiar needs of our country and people. 

             At this point, allow me to end by saying that our goal in the short term is for the defense and military establishment to fully regain the trust and confidence of our people, which is already happening.  We hope that we can raise the consciousness of the Filipino people to participate as owners and stakeholders of our national defense, such that they will be allocating and such that they will be willing to allocate or to shoulder the cost of more resources to national defense to ensure our national security.           

            I have said enough for tonight, once again, thank you and good evening.

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