A strong armed forces and the economy

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BY MANNY VILLAR
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January 17, 2018
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I HAVE always believed, especially during my tenure as House Speaker and subsequently Senate President as part of a political career that spanned more than two decades, that the Philippines should have a strong armed forces to maintain its status as a sovereign and independent state.

It wasn’t so long ago that our soldiers fought enemies of the state wearing worn-out shoes and ineffective equipment, and with an air force that virtually had no well-functioning aircraft, except hand-me-downs surplus from other countries, just like the donated decommissioned coast guard patrol boats that had to serve as a navy fleet.

The terrorists’ siege of Marawi City in May last year was not just a wake-up call, because the government had been well aware of the woeful condition of our defense sector. Marawi added serious urgency to the need to upgrade the armed forces, as well as the police, in terms of personnel, equipment, technology and other resources.

After the defeat of the pro-Islamic State (IS) Maute group in October, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Philippine Army to recruit soldiers who will make up 10 infantry battalions (one battalion comprises 500 soldiers). Actually, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is implementing a recruitment program for its major branches.

Aside from the new threat from IS-affiliated terrorists, who tried to establish Marawi as their hub in Southeast Asia, the Philippines has been waging war for about 50 decades against communist rebels and Muslim separatists. The conflicts have killed an estimated 150,000 people, displaced millions and prevented economic activities in many parts of the archipelago.

President Duterte cancelled the ongoing peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) last year because its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), continued to harass companies engaged in mining, agriculture and other industries to raise money, while the negotiations were being held.

This is the reason why I welcome President Duterte’s moves to modernize the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The AFP Modernization Act, which was enacted in 1995, provided for P331.6 billion to improve the capabilities of the military, but only P63.39 billion of its budget was released. To correct the deficiency, Republic Act 10349 was enacted in 2012, which allotted P75 billion for modernization from 2013 to 2017.

In his second State of the Nation Address and a subsequent media briefing in July 2017, while members of the armed forces were fighting the Maute group in Marawi, the President vowed to continue developing a stronger and more credible national defense system and make the AFP an effective force against terrorists, insurgents and other internal and external security threats, including criminal elements.

Under the P3.767-trillion budget for 2017, the AFP will receive P140.4 billion for modernization, or 7.5 percent more than its 2017 budget of P130.6 billion for the upgrading program. The revised program will include the acquisition of surveillance, mobility and communications equipment as well as armaments.

The President was quoted in news reports as saying he hoped to see a “strong” armed forces after two years to have a “strong republic” that could withstand all threats and challenges.

As the President pointed out, today’s reality demands a strong military. I fully agree, because having a reliable defense system goes beyond defending the country from insurgents, terrorists and criminal groups.

The government’s massive infrastructure program will open many areas to investments, delivery of public services and development, and an armed forces that is respected even by enemies of the state will ensure that the economic goals will be achieved and sustained, because investors would be able to bring in their capital and operate in a safe environment.

We have been talking about making economic growth inclusive, which means that the benefits of development reach even the poor segment of the population. Together, infrastructure and a strong military will enable many Filipinos who are not now able to share in the nation’s growth, because they live in areas shunned by investors, to receive the benefits that their countrymen in the urban areas enjoy.

Call it “geographical inclusiveness,” which is what a country of more than 7,000 islands need for economic growth.

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This piece first came out in Business Mirror on Jan. 8, 2017 under the column “The Entrepreneur.” For comments/feedback e-mail to: mbv.secretariat@gmail.com or visitwww.mannyvillar.com.ph./PN
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