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Armed Forces of the Philippines
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{{short description|Military forces of the Philippines}}{{Use Philippine English|date=July 2022}}{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
- it has been imported raw for GetWiki
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| name | Armed Forces of the Philippines
| weblink}} | {{flagicon image | President of the Philippines>President Bongbong Marcos}}| commander-in-chief_title = Commander-in-Chief | 25px) Gilberto C. Teodoro | Secretary of National Defense (Philippines)>Secretary of National Defense | Flag of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (Philippines).svg}} General | Romeo Brawner Jr.>Romeo S. Brawner Jr., PA
| Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines>The Deputy Chief of Staff | Flag_of_the_ViceChiefofStaff_DeputyChiefofStaff.png}} Lieutenant General | Charlton Sean M. Gaerlan, Philippine Marine Corps>PN(M)| label3 = Armed Forces of the Philippines Sergeant Major | First Chief Master Sergeant>FCMS Feliciano M. Lazo, PA }} | Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines>Chief of Staff| age = 18–56 years old | Reserve Officers' Training Corps (Philippines)>Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), Basic Citizen's Military Training (BCMT) or voluntary service| manpower_data = | manpower_age = 18–56 | LAST2=TUPAS | TITLE=MARCOS APPOINTS BRAWNER AS AFP CHIEF | WORK=PHILSTAR.COM, | reserve = 1,400,000 Ready Reserves (2024)WEB,weblink Philippine military revamping reserve force amid rising regional tensions, November 4, 2023, | deployed = | PUBLISHER=WWW.DBM.GOV.PH, RAFMP GAA 2024 >URL=HTTPS://WWW.DBM.GOV.PH/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/GAA/GAA2024/VOLUMEI/RAMP.PDF | PUBLISHER=WWW.DBM.GOV.PH, | percent_GDP = 0.98% (2024)| domestic_suppliers = {{hidden|List| headerstyle=background:#b0c4de|*Government Arsenal
{edih}| ranks = Military ranks of the PhilippinesCadet rank in the Philippines
}}(File:Armed Forces of the Philippines foreign suppliers map.png|thumb|300x300px|AFP foreign supplier countries (blue), including European Union members (light blue))The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The President of the Philippines is the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP and forms military policy with the Department of National Defense, an executive department acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out, while the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines serves as the overall commander and the highest-ranking officer in the AFP.Founded under the National Defense Act of 1935, while tracing its roots to the Philippine Revolutionary Army, the AFP has played an integral part in the country's history. The AFP has also been involved in various conflicts, such as combatting rebellion against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its attached organizations, the New People's Army (NPA) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF), and operations against local Islamic terrorists in Mindanao. The AFP has also been part of various peacekeeping operations around the world, as part of its contribution to the United Nations.NEWS, PBBM cited by UN in ASEAN meet on his advocacy on youth, peace, security,weblink PIA, At present, military service is entirely voluntary.WEB, Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Military Service Age and Obligation,weblinkweblink dead, June 13, 2007, February 28, 2016, 17–23 years of age (officers 20–24) for voluntary military service; no conscription; applicants must be single male or female Philippine citizens with either 72 college credit hours (enlisted) or a baccalaureate degree (officers) (2013), As a result of the diminished number of active communist rebels and jihadist groups in the 2020s, the AFP has been shifting its primary focus from handling internal threats such as insurgency and local terrorism to defending the Philippine territory from external threats.NEWS, Internal security gains allow AFP to shift to external defense,weblink Leadership
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| 100px) | General Romeo Brawner Jr.>Romeo S. Brawner Jr. | 2023 | 21}}) | 60x60px) Philippine Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100px) | Lieutenant General Arthur M. CorduraCORDURA NAMED AFP'S NUMBER TWO MAN | WORK=MANILA BULLETIN, November 24, 2022, | 2022 | 24}}) | 60x60px) Philippine Air Force | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100px)| Lieutenant General Charlton Sean M. Gaerlan | 2023 | 27}}) | 60x60px) Philippine Marine Corps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100px)| Lieutenant General Roy M. Galido | 2023 | 01}}) | 60x60px) Philippine Army | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100px) | Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr.>Toribio D. Adaci Jr.ADACI JR. IS NEW PHILIPPINE NAVY CHIEF >URL=HTTPS://NEWS.ABS-CBN.COM/NEWS/11/24/22/ADACI-JR-IS-NEW-PHILIPPINE-NAVY-CHIEF, November 25, 2022, | 2022 | 24}}) | 60x60px) Philippine Navy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100px) | Lieutenant General Stephen Parreño>Stephen P. ParreñoPILOT WHO LED AIR MOBILITY EFFORTS DURING MARAWI SIEGE TAKES COMMAND OF PH AIR FORCE >URL=HTTPS://MB.COM.PH/2022/12/20/PILOT-WHO-LED-AIR-MOBILITY-EFFORTS-DURING-MARAWI-SIEGE-TAKES-COMMAND-OF-PH-AIR-FORCE/ | DATE=DECEMBER 20, 2022, | 2022 | 20}}) | 60x60px) Philippine Air Force | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100px) | Major General Arturo G. RojasHTTPS://WWW.PNA.GOV.PH/ARTICLES/1201138 | WEBSITE=PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY, | 2023 | 10}}) | 60x60px) Philippine Marine Corps | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100px)| First Chief Master Sergeant Feliciano M. Lazo | 2023 | 22}}) | 60x60px) Philippine Army | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
History
Pre-colonial Philippines maintained local militia groups under the barangay system. Reporting to the datu, these groups, aside from maintaining order in their communities, also served as their defense forces. With the arrival of Islam, the system of defense forces in the Mindanao region's sultanates under Muslim control mirrored those other existing sultanates in the region. These local warriors who were in the service of the Sultan were also responsible to qualified male citizens appointed by him.During the Spanish colonial period, the Spanish Army was responsible for the defense and general order of the archipelago in the land, while the Spanish Navy conducts maritime policing in the seas as well as providing naval logistics to the Army. The Guardia Civil took police duties and maintaining public order in villages and towns. In the early years of Spanish colonial era, most of the formations of the army were composed of conquistadors backed with native auxiliaries. By the 18th and 19th centuries, line infantry and cavalry formations were created composed of mixed Spanish and Filipino personnel, as well as volunteer battalions composed of all-Filipino volunteers during the later half of the 19th Century. Units from other colonies were also levied to augment the existing formations in the Philippines. Almost all of the formations of the Spanish Army in the archipelago participated in the local religious uprisings between 17th and 19th centuries, and in the Philippine Revolution in 1896 fighting against the revolutionary forces. At the peak of the revolution, some Filipinos and a few Spaniards in the Spanish Army, Guardia Civil, and Navy defected to the Philippine Revolutionary Army.The Spanish cession of the Philippines in the 1898 Treaty of Paris put the independence of the newly declared Southeast Asian republic in grave danger. The revolutionaries were fighting desperately as the American forces already landed in other islands and had taken over towns and villages. The Americans established the Philippine Constabulary in 1901 manned by Filipino fighters and used against Gen. Aguinaldo who was later captured.On April 9, 2002, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo proclaimed that the Philippine–American War had ended on April 16, 1902, with the surrender of General Miguel Malvar.WEB,weblink Speech of President Arroyo during the Commemoration of the Centennial Celebration of the end of the Philippine-American War April 16, 2002, Official Gazette, April 16, 2002, Government of the Philippines, Since the beginning of American rule in the Philippines, the United States Army had taken the responsibility for the defense of the country in the land, and the United States Navy in the seas until the passage of the National Defense Act of 1935 which called for a separate defense force for the Philippines.Creation and the Commonwealth Era
In accordance with the National Defense Act of 1935, the Armed Forces of the Philippines was officially established on December 21, 1935, when the act entered into force.WEB,weblink Commonwealth Act No. 1, December 21, 1935, Retired U.S. General Douglas MacArthur was asked to supervise its foundation and training. MacArthur accepted the offer and became a Field Marshal of the Philippines, a rank no other person has since held.See for example BOOK, Manchester, William, William Manchester, (American Caesar, American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880–1964), Little, Brown, Boston, 1978, 0-440-30424-5, 3844481, Jean MacArthur, his wife, found the situation amusing and remarked that her husband had gone from holding the highest rank in the United States Army to holding the highest rank in a non-existent army. President Quezon officially conferred the title of Field Marshal on MacArthur in a ceremony at Malacañan Palace on August 24, 1936, when he appeared with a gold marshal's baton and a unique uniform.BOOK, James, D. Clayton, The Years of MacArthur, Volume 1: 1880-1941World War II
In 1940–41, most soldiers of the Philippine military were incorporated in the U.S. Army Forces Far East (USAFFE), with MacArthur appointed as its commander. USAFFE made its last stand on Corregidor Island, after which Japanese forces were able to force all remaining Filipino and American troops to surrender. The establishment of the general headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army are military station went to the province during the occupation. Those who survived the invasion but escaped from the Japanese formed the basis of recognized guerrilla units and ongoing local military force of the Philippine Commonwealth Army that continued the fighting against the enemy all over the islands. The Philippine Constabulary went on active service under the Armed Forces of the Philippines during liberation.After independence
{{see also|History of the Philippines (1946–1965)}}After Japan was defeated in World War II, the Philippines gained its independence in 1946. (This was its second independence after the Philippine Declaration of Independence in 1898).The pre-war military districts briefly continued to be used for administering the military, until they were reorganized into Military Area Commands in 1946.WEB, History,weblink pro7.pnp.gov.ph, In 1947 the modern AFP first emerged with the upgrade of the PAAC to the Philippine Air Force.1950 saw the creation of the Philippine Marine Corps, a naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy, after then-Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay ordered Commodore Ramon Alcaraz to go to study the organization of the U.S. Marines. Alcaraz recommended the creation of the new service, earning him the distinction of being the "Father" of the Philippine Marine Corps.WEB,weblink Briefer on Ramon Alcaraz, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, August 6, 2013, May 26, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180526154909weblink">weblink May 26, 2018, live, en-US, During the Korean War from 1951 to 1953, the Philippines sent various AFP battalions, known as the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) to fight as part of the US-led United Nations Command in liberating South Korea from the invading North Korean troops.Throughout this time, the AFP had been in conflict with various elements of the Hukbalahap which, still known as the "huks", were reconstituted as the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan ("Peoples' Liberation Army")the armed wing of the Marxist–Leninist Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas of 1930 (PKP-1930). This conflict effectively ended in 1954, with the huks becoming a spent force during the presidency of Ramon Magsaysay.BOOK, Saulo, Alfredo, Communism in the Philippines: An Introduction, 1990, Ateneo de Manila University Press, 971-550-403-5, Quezon City, {{rp|44}}In 1966, an AFP battalion was also sent into South Vietnam during the Vietnam War to ameliorate the economic and social conditions of its people there. AFP units were also sent at the same time to the Spratly Islands.1963 would see the first women join the ranks of the armed forces with the raising of the Women's Auxiliary Corps.Martial law
President Ferdinand Marcos sought to have a strong personal influence over the Armed Forces as soon as he became president in 1965,BOOK, Parlade, Antonio G.,weblink An Analysis Of The Communist Insurgency In The Philippines., Pickle Partners Publishing, 2015, 978-1-78625-282-1, San Francisco, 975223979, BOOK,weblink Ferdinand Marcos and the Philippines: The Political Economy of Authoritarianism, Celoza, Albert F., 1997, Greenwood Publishing Group, 9780275941376, {{rp|page="32"}} holding on to the portfolio of defense secretary in the first thirteen months of his presidencyBOOK, Kasaysayan, The Story of the Filipino People Volume 9:A Nation Reborn, Asia Publishing Company Limited, 1998, Magno, Alexander R., Hong Kong, Democracy at the Crossroads, to develop what scholars have noted to be "a patronage system within the defense establishment."BOOK,weblink Defect Or Defend: Military Responses to Popular Protests in Authoritarian Asia, Lee, Terence, January 2, 2015, JHU Press, 9781421415161, The portfolio afforded him direct interaction with the AFP's leadership, and to have a hand in the AFP's day-to-day operationalization.BOOK,weblink Prelude to Martial Law: An Examination of Pre-1972 Philippine Civil-military Relations, Berlin, Donald Lane, 1982, Upon the declaration of martial law in 1972, Marcos used the AFP as what the Davide Commission Report would later call his "martial law implementor," and "one of the vital supports of the regime." Upon the announcement of Martial Law in 1972, one of their earliest tasks was that of quickly arresting and containing Marcos' political opponents,WEB,weblink Declaration of Martial Law, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170708065018weblink">weblink July 8, 2017, dead, September 9, 2018, and Marcos' hold on power was effectively broken once enough of the Military withdrew their support from him in February 1986.NEWS, February 22, 2016, 30 years ago today: Enrile, Ramos withdraw support for Marcos, en, ABS-CBN News,weblink August 2, 2021, Antonio Parlade notes that to get the military to ensure their cooperation, Marcos "had to expand the military organization and patronize the generals to buy their loyalty."NEWS, The military's obsession with UP: some historical notes, en, Vera Files,weblink August 2, 2021, Marcos oversaw a significant expansion of the AFP, which grew from a force of 57,100 in 1971 to a 97.89 percent increase of 113,000 personnel in 1976 - a significant increase of over a five-year period.WEB, October 3, 1990, II: Political Change and Military Transmition in the Philippines, 1966 – 1989: From the Barracks to the Corridors of Power,weblink July 30, 2021, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, He also increased the military budget from P880 million in 1972 to P4 billion in 1976. Marcos also instituted the AFP Self Reliance Defense Posture (SRDP) program, which was supposed to enable the AFP to construct its own weapons, tanks, armored vehicles, ships, gunboats, and aircraft locally instead of buying from foreign sources.De Castro, Renato Cruz, Ph.D. The Dilemma Between Democratic. Control versus Military Reforms: The Case of the AFP Modernisation. Program, 1991-2004.weblink This included{{Citation needed|reason=source does not specify that the Sta Barbara project was part of the SRDP.|date=August 2021}} "Project Santa Barbara" under the Philippine Navy, which saw the testing of the Bongbong II MLRS - named after Marcos' son - in 1972. However, the project was discontinued before the Marcos administration ended.WEB,weblink Santa Barbara Project – The Classified Missile Project of the Philippines, kbl.org.ph, {{Undue weight inline|reason=this paragraph should cover the whole SRDP program, not just one technology.|date=August 2021}}{{Better source needed|date=March 2021}}The military was given many functions aside from its task of national defense, including assisting in the implementation of price controls imposed on key products like corn and rice, enforcing the rules of the national corn procurement program, assisting in the collection of rural and government bank loans, implementing the agrarian reform law, and various police functions such as collecting unlicensed firearms and enforcing curfews, and suppressing strikes, rallies, and other demonstrations.Marcos carried out the "largest reshuffle in the history of the armed forces" when he forcibly retired fourteen of the AFP's twenty-five flag officers, including the AFP Chief of Staff, the AFP Vice Chief of Staff, the commanding general of the Philippine Army, the Chief of the Philippine Constabulary, the commanders of all four Constabulary Zones, and one third of all Provincial Commanders of the PC.PERIODICAL, Davide, Hilario G. Jr., Hilario Davide Jr., Romulo, Ricardo J., Legaspi, Leonardo Z., Hernandez, Carolina G., Lazaro, Delfin L., The Final Report of the Fact-Finding Commission: II: Political Change and Military Transmition in the Philippines, 1966 – 1989: From the Barracks to the Corridors of Power,weblink Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, Republic of the Philippines National Government Portal (Gov.ph), Other key officers critical of Marcos, such as Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, were compelled to leave the service. In their place, Marcos appointed officers from his home region, the Ilocos, the most significant of whom had familial connections to Marcos – ensuring their familial and regionalistic loyalties to him.Among the most prominent such appointments were that of General Fabian Ver as commander of the Presidential Security Command in 1965, and AFP chief of staff in 1981;NEWS, GAVILAN, JODESZ, September 21, 2020, Marcos and his men: Who were the key Martial Law figures?, en, Rappler,weblink August 5, 2021, NEWS, October 25, 1984, A FILIPINO ON THE SPOT, en-US, The New York Times,weblink August 5, 2021, 0362-4331, Juan Ponce Enrile as Secretary of Defense from 1970 to 1986; and General Fidel Ramos as chief for the Philippine Constabulary, and later as Armed Forces Vice Chief from 1981 to 1986.Generals loyal to Marcos were allowed to stay in their positions past their supposed retirement age, or were rewarded with civilian government posts.WEB,weblink PHL marks 29th anniversary of Aquino's assassination on Tuesday, August 20, 2012, Office of the President of the Philippines,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160208022821weblink">weblink February 8, 2016, dead, This led to a loss of morale among the middle-ranks of the AFP, because it meant a significant slowdown in promotions and caused many officers to retire with ranks much lower than they would otherwise have earned.Several cabals of dissatisfied officers eventually formed among the middle-ranks of the AFP, most notably the Reform the Armed Forces Movement in the early 1980s.The Marcos administration is thus considered to have marked a decline for AFP in terms of its traditional values of civilian supremacy and professionalism,JOURNAL, Richard, Lim, March 2011, Civil-Military Relations in Marcos' Philippines,weblink CESRAN Papers, Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN), 2, WEB, Backgrounder – Security sector reform, professionalization and the shift to external defense in the Philippines,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171026065647weblink">weblink October 26, 2017, August 2, 2021, Centre for Security Governance, en-CA, leading to a need for security sector reform during later administrations, as per the recommendations of the Davide Commission in 1990 and the Feliciano Commission in 2003.JOURNAL, Cruz, Rodel A., 2013, Security Sector Reform: Way Forward for Democracy and Development,weblink live, National Security Review, National Defense College of the Philippines, December,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200501083036weblink">weblink May 1, 2020, September 5, 2021, WEB, Oreta, Jennifer Santiago, January 9, 2018, The Security Reform Agenda for the AFP and PNP in 2018 - Blueboard by,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180111010424weblink">weblink January 11, 2018, September 5, 2021, Ateneo de Manila University, en, CivilianWEB,weblink Alfred McCoy, Dark Legacy: Human rights under the Marcos regime, September 20, 1999, Ateneo de Manila University, BOOK, State and society in the Philippines, N., Abinales, P., 2005, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 978-0742510234, Lanham, MD, 57452454, and military historians alike agree that "human rights abuses by the troops became rampant" during the Marcos administration, as documented by international monitoring entities such as Amnesty International.WEB,weblink 3,257: Fact checking the Marcos killings, 1975-1985 - The Manila Times Online, www.manilatimes.net, en-US, June 15, 2018, April 12, 2016, Units often specifically cited in these reported incidents include the Metrocom Intelligence and Security Group (MISG),NEWS,weblink LOOK BACK: The Philippine Constabulary under Marcos, Rappler, June 18, 2018, en, and the 5th Constabulary Security Unit (5CSU)BOOK, Policing America's empire : the United States, the Philippines, and the rise of the surveillance state, W., McCoy, Alfred, 2009, University of Wisconsin Press, 9780299234133, Madison, Wis., 550642875, of the Philippine Constabulary,WEB,weblink Report of an AI Mission to the Republic of the Philippines 1975, Amnesty International, as well as the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).BOOK, Marcos Martial Law: Never Again, Robles, Raissa, FILIPINOS FOR A BETTER PHILIPPINES , INC, 2016, The Presidential Security Unit and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) were also accused of aiding these activities.NEWS,weblink A FILIPINO ON THE SPOT, The New York Times, October 25, 1984, June 18, 2018, en, Aside from human rights abuses, these units were also accused of hounding media entities,JOURNAL, Rosenberg, David A., 1974, Civil Liberties and the Mass Media under Martial Law in the Philippines, Pacific Affairs, 47, 4, 472–484, 10.2307/2755948, 2755948, NEWS,weblink MANILA NEWSPAPER CLOSED BY MARCOS, The New York Times, June 18, 2018, en, corporate management,WEB,weblink The One That Got Away {{!, Newsbreak {{!}} Independent Journalism|website=archives.newsbreak-knowledge.ph|language=en-US|access-date=June 18, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709154512weblink|url-status=dead}} and opposition groupsNEWS,weblink The Haunting of Martial Law: Records from the Marcos Regime, September 7, 2017, UH School of Law Library, June 18, 2018, en-US, with threats, intimidation, and violence.The Marcos administration also marked the beginnings of at least two long-running conflicts that continued to plague later administrations: the Moro conflict and the New People's Army conflict.WEB, Philippines: State of Conflict and Violence,weblink live, The Asia Foundation Website,weblink September 8, 2018, The Moro conflict, began in earnest in 1968 when short-lived organizations such as the Muslim Independence Movement and the Bangsamoro Liberation Organization formed in reaction to news about the Jabidah Massacre,BOOK, Between Integration and Secession: The Muslim Communities of the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand and Western Burma/Myanmar, Yegar, Moshe, Lexington Books, 2002, 267–268, JOURNAL, Fallon, Joseph E., Igorot and Moro National Reemergence, Fourth World Journal, 2, 1, August 1989, September 5, 2007,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070818181333weblink">weblink August 18, 2007, WEB,weblink Jabidah and Merdeka: The inside story, Marites Dañguilan Vitug, Glenda M. Gloria, Rappler, March 18, 2013, September 13, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150913010948weblink">weblink September 13, 2015, dead, with many of their forces eventually coalescing as the Moro National Liberation Front was formed in 1972.Meanwhile, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was formed in 1968, while the New People's Army (NPA), founded in 1969, grew nationwide to a 200,000 strong force.{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}EDSA Revolution
{{see also|People Power Revolution}}Due to what was popularly believed to be electoral fraud during the 1986 Philippine presidential election,WEB, Elections of 1986,weblink August 4, 2021, Malacanang Presidential Museum and Library, en-US, June 21, 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210621073524weblink">weblink dead, February 1986 saw a period of uncertainty.WEB, Speech of President Aquino at the anniversary of Tagumpay ng Bayan, February 16, 2012 (English translation),weblink live, May 18, 2021, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, February 16, 2012,weblink May 18, 2021, JOURNAL, Schock, Kurt, 1999, People Power and Political Opportunities: Social Movement Mobilization and Outcomes in the Philippines and Burma,weblink Social Problems, 46, 3, 355–375, 10.2307/3097105, 3097105, 0037-7791, A boycott movement and plans for massive civilian protests were in place.WEB, Cruz, Elfren S., The road to EDSA,weblink May 18, 2021, Philstar.com, During the chaos, the Reform the Armed Forces Movement headed by then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile decided to stage a military coup against Marcos.NEWS, Research, P. D. I., February 13, 2014, EDSA Day 1: February 22, 1986, en, Philippine Daily Inquirer,weblink August 4, 2021, The plot was uncovered,NEWS, Lingao, Ed, A 25-year rebellion, en-US, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism Website,weblink August 4, 2021, however, and the forces involved became trapped in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. They then sought and received the support of Philippine Constabulary chief and AFP vice-chief of staff Lt. General Fidel V. Ramos in the neighboring Camp Crame, but even with Ramos' defection, their forces were trapped in the two neighboring camps.Manila's Catholic Archbishop, Jaime Sin, went on Radio Veritas and called for people to go to the section of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in between the two camps and help protect the rebel forces. Since civilian groups were already planning massive protests in relation to the election results, a large crowd was able to gather and prevent Marcos' forces from attacking camps Aguinaldo and Crame. This civilian uprising, which would come to be known as the People Power Revolution, led to various units of the AFP refusing orders to fire on the camps and the civilians protecting them, and led to the removal Marcos from power.JOURNAL, Carter, April, 2013, People Power Since 1980: Examining Reasons for its Spread, Success and Failure, Sicherheit und Frieden (S+F) / Security and Peace, 31, 3, 145–150, 10.5771/0175-274x-2013-3-145, 24233235, 0175-274X, free, BOOK, Claudio, Lisandro E.,weblink Taming people's power : the EDSA revolutions and their contradictions, 2013, 978-971-550-655-7, Ateneo de Manila University Press, Quezon City, 864093220, Corazon Aquino was then installed as the new president of the Philippines.WEB, Corazon Aquino {{!, Biography & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Corazon-Aquino |access-date=March 1, 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}Shortly after midnight on February 26, five army trucks of troops under the command of Fidel Ramos arrived in Malacañang Palace to secure it after Ferdinand Marcos had left, and various individuals had entered it, marking the end of Marcos' reign, and placing the palace under the control of the Provisional Government of the Philippines until a new constitution could be enacted a year later, in 1987.NEWS, Fox Butterfield,weblink The Fall Of Marcos - Behind The Presidential Walls - After Marcos Abandons His Palace, Filipinos Shout, 'This Is Ours Now!', The New York Times, February 26, 1986,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150524193702weblink">weblink August 2, 2022, May 24, 2015,Later 20th century
{{see also|History of the Philippines (1986–present)}}During Corazon Aquino's administration, most of the military units remained loyal to her as she dealt with various coup attempts against her, either by military factions that remained loyal to the former dictator,{{rp|page=135}} or by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement. The 1989 coup attempt, the bloodiest of all coup attempts against her, was crushed with US help.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}Following the 1989 coup attempt, President Aquino established a Fact-Finding Commission headed by COMELEC Chairman Hilario Davide Jr. to investigate and provide a full report on the series of coup attempts.NEWS, PURSUANT TO RA NO. 6832: Recommendations of the Final Report of the Fact Finding Commission, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080417061659weblink">weblink April 17, 2008, WEB, R.A. 6832,weblink July 30, 2021, lawphil.net, When it came out, The Davide Commission Report recommended several short-term and long-term counter-measures, including the establishment of a civilian national police force, a crackdown on corruption in the military, a performance review of appointive government officials, reforms in the process of military promotions, a review of election laws in time for the 1992 presidential elections, and a definitive statement on the part of Aquino on whether she intended to run for re-election in 1992.{{rp|pages=509–530}}WEB, Recommendations of the Final Report of the Fact-Finding Commission,weblink Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, 2003, May 5, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080417061659weblink">weblink April 17, 2008, dead, The publication of the recommendations of the report is considered one of the key starting points of security sector reform in the Philippines.The AFP, during her term also launched a massive campaign against the CPP-NPA after a brief hiatus and also against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the south.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}In 1991, the major services of the AFP were reduced from four to three, when the Philippine Constabulary or PC, an AFP major service tasked to enforce the law and to curb criminality, was formally merged with the country's Integrated National Police, a national police force on the cities and municipalities in the country attached to the PC to become the Philippine National Police, thus removing it from AFP control and it was civilianized by a law passed by Congress, therefore becoming under the Department of the Interior and Local Government as a result.NEWS, Francisco, Katerina, September 21, 2016, LOOK BACK: The Philippine Constabulary under Marcos, en, Rappler,weblink August 24, 2021,Contemporary history
{{see also|History of the Philippines (1986–present)}}{{update|section|date=June 2023}}In 2000, then President Joseph Estrada ordered the AFP to launch an "All-Out war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a breakaway group of the MNLF that wants to proclaim Mindanao an independent state.In 2001, Estrada was removed from power in the two-day Edsa Dos People Power revolt, in which the AFP played a key role. The revolution installed then vice-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as president.Since 2001, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has been active in supporting the War on terror and has been attacking terrorist groups in Mindanao ever since. In 2012, the AFP Chief of Staff said that there had been no increase in the number of soldiers over a long period, and that the military aimed to hire 30,000 troops in three years.WEB,weblink AFP hopes to recruit 20,000 soldiers in 3 years, January 15, 2014, ANC News, February 13, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140302013756weblink">weblink March 2, 2014, dead, In 2013, the AFP managed to stall the attacks of the Moro National Liberation Front in the Zamboanga City crisis as they launch an attack to proclaim the independence of the Bangsamoro Republik. In 2016, the AFP clashed with the Maute group on Butig on February and on November of 2016. In 2017, The AFP also clashed with ISIS militants in Marawi, calling President Duterte to declare Martial Law under Proclamation No. 216.After the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014, the AFP has played a key part in the normalization process with the MILF, which includes "the decommissioning of MILF combatants and their weapons and the transformation of several camps into productive and resilient communities,"WEB, Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Full implementation of the MILF Normalization Process underway,weblink August 30, 2021, Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Website, March 7, 2019, en-US, developing a close working relationship with the Philippine National Police and the MILF-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) in the pursuit of peace in the Bangsamoro.WEB, Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Bangsamoro Normalization gains momentum,weblink August 30, 2021, Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Website, June 25, 2019, en-US, In 2024, the number of active communist rebels in the NPA reached a low of 1,500, with the AFP aiming to neutralize them by the end of the year. As a result of the development, the AFP has been shifting its focus away from handling internal threats towards defending Philippine territory from external threats such as China's encroachment in the West Philippine Sea.NEWS, Vitug, Marites, Marites Vitug, Hindi Ito Marites: Malapit na bang matalo ng AFP ang NPA?,weblink February 20, 2024, Rappler, Rappler Inc., February 16, 2024,Organization and branches
File:Philippine DND Building.jpg|thumb|right|Department of National Defense Building, Camp AguinaldoCamp AguinaldoThe 1987 Philippine Constitution placed the AFP under the control of a civilian, the President of the Philippines, who acts as its Commander-in-Chief. All of its branches are part of the Department of National Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of National Defense.The AFP has three major services:AFP Organization, [AFP website].- Philippine Army (PA) – Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas
- Philippine Navy (PN) – Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas
- Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) – Hukbong Kawal Pandagat ng Pilipinas
- Philippine Air Force (PAF) – Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas
- The Vice Chief of Staff of the AFP (VCSAFP)
- The Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP (TDCSAFP)
- Commanding General of the Philippine Army (CGPA) - Lieutenant General
- Flag Officer in-Command (FOIC) - Vice Admiral
- Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force (CGPAF) - Lieutenant General
- Commander, Unified Commands (Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral)
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, J1
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, J2
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Organization & Training, J3
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, J4
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, J5
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Electronics and Information Systems, J6
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, J7
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Education, Training and Doctrine, J8
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Retirees and Reservists Affairs, J9
- The Deputy Chief of Staff for Financial Management, J10
- The Administrative Staff:
- The Inspector General (TIG) - Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral
- The Adjutant General (TAG)
- The Judge Advocate General (TJAG)
- The Chief, Chaplain Service (TCCS)
- The Provost Marshal General (TPMG)
- The Chief, Special Services (TCSPS)
- The Chief, Historical Activities (TCHA)
- The Chief, Doctrines Development (TCDD)
- The Technical Staff:
- The Chief Engineer
- The Chief for Ordinance and Chemical Service
- The Quartermaster General
- The Surgeon General
- The Chief Nurse
- Army Division Commanders
- Naval Command Commanders
- Air Command Commanders
- The Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps
- Chief of Staff of the AFP - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
- Vice Chief of Staff of the AFP - Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
- The Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP - Chief of the Joint Staff
- Commander, Unified Command - Joint Forces Commander, Unified Command
- Deputy Chief of Staff for (functional area) (J-staff) - Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff for (functional area)
- Commanding General of the Philippine Army - Chief of the Army
- Flag Officer in-Command - Chief of the Navy
- Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force - Chief of the Air Force
Unified commands
Units from these three services may be assigned to one of six "Unified Commands" led by each Commander of the Unified Command; consisting of different branches from the three branches of the AFP, which are multi-service, regional entities. The Unified Commands are responsible in monitoring, securing and defending their specific geographical area of operations within the Philippines. There are currently six Unified Commands in the AFP, with each Commander of the Unified Commands hold the rank of Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral, and reports directly to the office of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080419074817weblink">weblink April 19, 2008, AFP Organization, February 3, 2008,- Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) (Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon, including the Scarborough Shoal and the Benham Rise)
- Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) (Calabarzon; Mimaropa excluding Palawan, and Bicol Region)
- Visayas Command (VISCOM) (Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas)
- Western Command (WESCOM) (Palawan and the Spratly Islands)
- Eastern Mindanao Command (EASTMINCOM) (Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and the Caraga regions)
- Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) (Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and the BARMM)
Commanders, Unified Commands{| class"wikitable" style"text-align:center"
AFP-wide service support and separate units
Several organization-wide support services and separate units report directly to the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters (AFP GHQ). The units are the:- AFP General Headquarters & Headquarters Service Command (GHQ & HSC)
- AFP Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (AFP JTF-NCR)
- Presidential Security Group (PSG)
- Philippine Military Academy (PMA)
- AFP Education, Training and Doctrine Command (AFPETDC). The organizations under it include:
- AFP Health Service Command. The organizations under it include:
- Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (AFPMC)
- Armed Forces of the Philippines Dental Service Center (AFPDSC)
- AFP Special Operations Command (AFPSOCOM)
- AFP Reserve Command (AFPRESCOM)
- AFP Commissary and Exchange Service (AFPCES)
- Civil Relations Service, AFP (CRSAFP)
- Communications, Electronics and Information System Service, AFP (CEISSAFP)
- Intelligence Service, AFP (ISAFP)
- AFP Doctrine Development Center (AFPDDC)
- AFP Peacekeeping Operations Center (AFP-PKOC)
- Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU)
Former branches
The Philippine Constabulary (PC) was a gendarmerie type military-police force of the Philippines established in 1901 by the United States-appointed administrative authority, replacing the Guardia Civil of the Spanish colonial regime. On December 13, 1990, Republic Act No. 6975 was approved, organizing the Philippine National Police (PNP) consisting of the members of the Integrated National Police (INP) and the officers and enlisted personnel of the PC. Upon the effectivity of that Act, the PC ceased to be a major service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the INP ceased to be the national police and civil defense force.Republic Act No. 6975 (approved December 13, 1990), Chan Robles Law Library. On January 29, 1991, the PC and the INP were formally retired and the PNP was activated in their place.weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120614131721weblink">Philippine National Police 19th Anniversary (January 28, 2010), Manila Bulletin (archived from the original {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614131721weblink |date=June 14, 2012 }} on June 14, 2012).The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is also another attached agency to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but due to the civilian nature of the PCG functions led to the separation of the Coast Guard from the Philippine Navy on March 30, 1998, by virtue of Executive Order 475 signed by President Fidel Ramos. The Order effectively transferred the PCG from the Department of National Defense to the Office of the President, and eventually to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on April 15, 1998, by virtue of Executive Order 477.Defunct former commands
- National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM)
- Eastern Command
- Central Luzon Command (CELCOM)
- Central Mindanao Command (CENMINCOM)
- AFP Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
- Home Defense Command (HDC)
- Internal Defense Command (IDC)
- National Development Support Command (NADESCOM)
Reforms and modernization
The AFP is one of the "core security actors" that are the focus of security sector governance and reform in the Philippines, which involves civilianizing, professionalizing, modernizing, and capacitating the Philippine government's security institutionsWEB,weblink The Security Reform Agenda for the AFP and PNP in 2018 - Blueboard by Jennifer Santiago Oreta | Ateneo de Manila University, August 2, 2021, September 5, 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210905171928weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink Security sector governance and reform in Southeast Asia, BusinessWorld, October 8, 2019, to align them good governance and to principles such as human rights, freedom of information, and the rule of civilian law.BOOK,weblink Security Sector Governance: Applying the principles of good governance to the security sector, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), 2015, SSR Backgrounder Series, Geneva, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170915023424weblink">weblink September 15, 2017, BOOK, Security System Reform and Governance,weblink OECD DAC, 2005, 978-92-64-00786-4, DAC Guidelines and Reference Series, Paris, This has been a continuing process since the establishment of the Fifth Philippine Republic after the 1986 People Power Revolution, before the concept had even been fully defined internationally in the 1990s.NEWS,weblink SSR: Securing its success, justifying its relevance, Price, Megan, August 19, 2014, Clingendael, van Veen, Erwin, en, live,weblink August 26, 2017,Civilianization
{{see also|Civilian control of the military}}The need to assert civilian control of the military was a reform agenda which began being addressed almost as soon as Ferdinand Marcos was deposed by the 1986 People Power Revolution; within a year of Marcos' ouster, the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines enshrined the principle of civilian supremacy over the military. After the various coup attempts of the 1980s, the recommendations of the Davide Commission included the dissolution of the Philippine Constabulary as a service under the AFP, resulting in the eventual creation of the civilian Philippine National Police.About the Philippine National police {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326192226weblink |date=March 26, 2012 }} In 1998, Executive Orders 475 and 477 asserting the civilian nature of the Philippine Coast Guard and transferring it from the Philippine Navy to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) were signed by President Fidel Ramos.WEB, Legacies,weblink August 30, 2021, coastguard.gov.ph, In a December 2013 paper for the National Defense College of the Philippines’ National Security Review, former Department of National Defense Undersecretary Rodel Cruz identified some aspects of civilianization which need attention under security sector reform as:- Increasing civilian capacity for defense management;
- Establishing an active constituency supportive of Security Sector Reform;
- Prudent budget preparation and execution;
- Supporting a local defense industry;
- Intelligent and coherent policy development and execution; and
- the passage of an updated National Defense Act.
Involvement of Civil Society
For the most part, oversight of the Philippine state's security actors has fallen on government agencies through the constitutional system of checks and balances - most prominently, congress and the Commission on Human Rights.WEB, Security Sector Reform in the Philippines,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181106065411weblink">weblink November 6, 2018, September 5, 2021, Middle East Institute, en, But civil society organizations have also become involved in civilianizing, professionalizing, modernizing, and capacitating the Philippine state's security institutions, depending on how much emphasis each President, as Commander in Chief, places on civil society engagement.JOURNAL, CORONEL-FERRER, MIRIAM, 2005, Institutional Response: Civil Society,weblink live, Philippine Human Development Report 2005,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110919113206weblink">weblink September 19, 2011, September 6, 2021,weblink a greater emphasis on Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) beginning in 2010, a shift towards engagement with Civil Society Organizations was put in place under the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) of 2010, and similar principles were enshrined in the 2016 AFP-Development Support and Security Plan (DSSP) of the next administration.WEB, January 29, 2018, Security Reform in the Philippines for 2018,weblink August 29, 2021, Asia Dialogue, en-GB, However, civil society is no longer identified as a major strategic priority under the 15 year AFP Transformation Roadmap initiated during the Duterte administration, as it had been under the 2003-2016 PDR Program.NEWS, Toledo, Mike, Kropholler, Peter, August 24, 2020, Protect, perform, transform, 3, 981–998, Annales Henri Lebesgue,weblink August 29, 2021, 10.5802/ahl.51, 2644-9463,Professionalization
The AFP went through a number of changes during the 21 years under Ferdinand Marcos, notably in terms of the promotion of officers based on loyalty and connections to the president, and in terms of being given the task of implementing Martial Law, which led to officers being involved in human rights violations and in corruption. The years from 1965 to 1986 are thus considered to have marked a decline for AFP in terms of its traditional values of civilian supremacy and professionalism, leading to a need to actively professionalize the AFP. The 1990 Davide Commission and 2003 Feliciano Commission made recommendations towards the professionalization of the AFP as early as 1990 and 2003, respectively.Under the Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) Program from 2003 to 2016, steps the AFP sought to take towards professionalization included the development of "Integrity Development Programs", programmatic efforts to improve the quality of service performance, continuing development programs for commanders and staff, and reforms in the recruitment of enlisted personnel.TECH REPORT, Department of National Defense, Republic of the Philippines, TRANSFORMING THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE TO EFFECTIVELY MEET THE DEFENSE AND SECURITY CHALLENGES OF THE 21st CENTURY,weblink Alongside capability development, "professionalization of all ranks" is one of two strategic priorities identified by the 15 year AFP Transformation Roadmap which replaced the PDR Program during the Duterte administration.Modernization
Republic Act No. 7898, approved on February 23, 1995, declared it the policy of the State to modernize the AFP to a level where it can effectively and fully perform its constitutional mandate to uphold the sovereignty and preserve the patrimony of the Republic of the Philippines, and mandated specific actions to be taken to achieve this endWEB,weblink Republic Act No. 7898 : AFP Modernization Act, February 23, 1995, Government of the Philippines, over a 15-year period ending in 2010.NEWS, Oreta, Jennifer Santiago, July 12, 2021, Security sector reform under PNoy and Duterte administrations, en-US, BusinessWorld,weblink August 5, 2021, Republic Act No. 10349, approved on December 11, 2012, amended RA7898 to establish a revised AFP modernization programWEB,weblink REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10349 : AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7898, ESTABLISHING THE REVISED AFP MODERNIZATION PROGRAM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, December 11, 2012, Government of the Philippines, lasting another 15 years ending in 2027. The act included new provisions for the acquisition of equipment for all the branches of AFP.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}Philippine Defense Reform Program (2003-2016)
(File:Philippine Defense Reform Program framework.png|thumb|Framework of the Philippine Defense Reform Program)In October 1999, the Joint Defense Assessment (JDA) began as a policy level discussion between the Philippine Secretary of National Defense and the US Secretary of Defense. An initial JDA report in 2001 provided an objective evaluation of Philippine defense capability. During a May 2003 state visit to Washington DC, President Arroyo requested U.S. assistance in conducting a strategic assessment of the Philippine defense system. This led to a follow-up JDA and formulation of recommendations addressing deficiencies found in the Philippine defense structure.{{Harvnb|Comer|2010|pp=6–7}}The results of the 2003 JDA were devastating. The JDA findings revealed that the AFP was only partially capable of performing its most critical missions. Moreover, the results pointed overwhelmingly toward institutional and strategic deficiencies as being the root cause of most of the shortcomings. A common thread in all: the lack of strategy-based planning that would focus DND/AFP on addressing priority threats and link capability requirements with the acquisition process.Specifically, the 2003 JDA revealed critical deficiencies in the following specific areas:{{Harvnb|Comer|2010|p=7}}- Systemic approach to policy planning
- Personnel management and leadership
- Defense expenditures and budgeting
- Acquisition
- Supply and maintenance
- Quality assurance for existing industrial base
- Infrastructure support
- Multi-Year Defense Planning System (MYDPS)
- Improve Intelligence, Operations, and Training Capacities
- Improve Logistics Capacity
- Professional Development Program
- Improve Personnel Management System
- Multi-year Capabilities Upgrade Program (CUP)
- Optimization of Defense Budget and Improvement of Management Controls
- Centrally Managed Defense Acquisition System Manned by a Professional Workforce
- Development of Strategic Communication Capability
- Information Management Development Program
are of great importance to the Philippines in supporting maritime security in particular; respectively, their legally binding nature provides long-term effectiveness for mutual defense cooperation and for the development of the Philippine maritime and archipelagic domain.
Philippine defense operations are supported in part through U.S. Section 1206 ($102.3 million) and 1207 ($16.02 million) funds. These funds are aimed at carrying out security, counterterrorism training and rule of law programs.Serafino, N. (2013). Security Assistance Reform: "Section 1206" Background and Issues for Congress. CRS Report for Congress. Accessed from:weblink Overall, the United States is increasing U.S. funding for military education and training programs in Southeast Asia. The most recent U.S. Department of Defense budget for the region includes $90 million for programs, which is a 50 percent increased from four years ago.Voice of America (August 26, 2013). U.S. Significantly Boosts Military Funding for SE Asia. Voice of America. Accessed from:weblink Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin formally ended the PDR Program on June 23, 2016, because the upcoming administration of Rodrigo Duterte, which would begin its term later that month, had indicated that it wanted to set its own direction for the running of Philippine defense matters.NEWS, Acosta, Rene, June 23, 2016, Gazmin closes Philippine Defense Reform Program {{!, Rene Acosta |language=en-US |url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2016/06/23/gazmin-closes-philippine-defense-reform-program/ |access-date=June 18, 2021}}Fixed Term for key officials
On May 16, 2022, the Malacañang Palace announced that the President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law, known as Republic Act no. 11709, that enables a three-year fixed term for key officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, such as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, the Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force, the Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy, The Inspector General, and for the respective commanders of the Unified Commands. Meanwhile, junior officers ranging from the ranks of second lieutenant/ensign to colonel/captain, as well as enlisted personnel, will be compulsorily retired upon reaching the age of 56 or served a maximum of 30 years of active service, while flag officers who reached the rank of brigadier general/commodore to lieutenant general/vice admiral will have a retirement age of 59, unless named as a commander of the service branch or unified command, as defined in the law. Under the new law, members who will be appointed in the Corps of Professors will be retired upon reaching the age of 60 or the completion of 20 years of active duty, while the Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy will have a four-year term, and will not be eligible to be placed in a higher position, such as the Chief of Staff, and shall be retired upon reaching the end of their term. The law also enables the President of the Philippines to terminate their respective roles before the expiration of their fixed term, and has the powers to extend the term of the Chief of Staff in times of war, or national emergency matters, with the consent of the Congress of the Philippines.NEWS, Fixed 3-year terms for military chiefs ensure stability of programs,weblink Manila Bulletin, May 19, 2022, NEWS, Panti, Llanesca, May 16, 2022, Duterte signs law granting fixed three-year term for top military officials, en, GMA News Online,weblink May 7, 2023, The new law aims to increase the AFP's organizational professionalism and stability in within the institution, and will further enhance the AFP's efficiency, preparedness and effectiveness to the AFP's mandate. The law also aims to lessen the effects of the "revolving door" policy and eliminating short-term duties for the commanders within the ranks.NEWS, PRRD signs law fixing term of AFP chief, other senior officers,weblink www.pna.gov.ph, en, However, the new law encountered many problems within the AFP's organization, which caused some middle ranking officers to raise their concerns regarding the promotions of younger officers within the hierarchy, while addressing concerns for the possible reduction of promoted officers within the ranks of lieutenant colonel to colonel/ lieutenant commander to commander due to reduced tenure limits, and allaying fears of lowering a merit-based promotion system.NEWS, Mangosing, Frances, Lawmakers taking AFP pulse about new law on tenure,weblink INQUIRER.net, December 1, 2022, en, Additionally, another hurdles also hounded the higher ranks, due to the fixed tenures of various officers, and on the appointment of Bartolome Vicente Bacarro as the AFP Chief of Staff, where in an editorial made by then-AFP Spokesman retired Major General Edgard Arevalo in The Manila Times named "The fates of two AFP chiefs of staff", where Bacarro's appointment as AFP Chief was made months prior of General Andres Centino's mandatory retirement age, in which makes Centino's position as the only four star officer in the AFP is still higher than Bacarro's, which prevented Bacarro to be promoted to the next rank.NEWS, Arevalo (Ret.), Maj Gen Edgard A., The fates of two AFP chiefs of staff,weblink The Manila Times, November 27, 2022, en, NEWS, Villanueva, Marichu A., Amend RA 11709,weblink Philstar.com, The problems regarding the new law caused rumblings in the AFP's organization, which was also admitted by then DND Officer-in-Charge Carlito Galvez Jr..NEWS, Fernandez, Daniza, Grumblings in AFP must end: Senate bill proposes 5 changes to unpopular 3-year rule,weblink INQUIRER.net, February 7, 2023, en, WEB,weblink Alleged rumblings in AFP merely due to RA 11709: Galvez | Philippine News Agency, Philippine News Agency, After months of deliberations, a new law was made in order to fix the problems caused by Republic Act no. 11709, and on May 17, 2023, the Republic Act no. 11939 was signed by President Bongbong Marcos, which reduced number of officials of having fixed terms to only five, namely the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which will have a maximum of a three-year tenure; the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, the Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force, the Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy, in which will have a maximum of a two-year tenure, and a four-year term for the Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy. The newly revised law also maintained the powers of the President of the Philippines to terminate their terms at his/her pleasure.WEB, Republic Act No. 11939 {{!, GOVPH |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2023/05/17/republic-act-no-11939/ |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines |date=May 17, 2023}} On January 7, 2023, General Andres Centino was reappointed as AFP Chief of Staff, replacing Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, which made Centino the only AFP Chief to be appointed in the same office twice, from November 12, 2021, to August 8, 2022, and on January 6, 2023, to July 19, 2023.NEWS, AFP welcomes General Centino as 59th Chief of Staff, bids farewell to Lieutenant General Bacarro,weblink PIA, January 7, 2023,National policies
Recent national policies have shifted the strategic direction of the AFP towards external, territorial defense as opposed to previous, internal foci. Some of the challenges with this change in strategic direction include the uneven distribution of maritime security resources among territorial, transnational, environmental, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) conflicts.Maritime Research Information Center (2013). Overview of the MRIC. Naval Station Francisco. Philippine Navy. Taguig, Philippines. Accessed from: WEB,weblink Press Advisory re Launching of Maritime Research Information Center (MRIC) Inter-Agency Website - Philippine Navy News, June 12, 2014, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111218134857weblink">weblink December 18, 2011, For example, Philippine Executive Order 57, signed in 2011 by President Benigno Aquino III, established a central inter-agency mechanism for enhancing governance in the country's maritime domain.Executive Order No. 57 by the President of the Philippines. September 6, 2011. Accessed from: WEB,weblink Archived copy, June 12, 2014, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130825105227weblink">weblink August 25, 2013, Between 1995 and 2019, the AFP Reserve Manpower in the Philippines totaled 741,937 and 4,384,936 ROTC Cadets.WEB,weblink News, Philippine Information Agency, Out of the 700,00+ reservists; 93,062 are (ready reserve) and 610,586 are (standby reserve).WEB, October 4, 2018, Gatchalian fights for higher AFP Reserve Force budget,weblink November 20, 2023, Senate of the Philippines, There are a total of 20,451 with the affiliated reserve units.Conflicts over responsibility for maritime surveillance between armed forces continue to underscore the numerous challenges that the TBA faces. For example, following the expulsion of Ferdinand Marcos from the Philippines in 1986, the Philippine Coast Guard separated from the Philippine Navy, resulting in an uneven distribution of resources and jurisdictional confusion.Comer, C. (2010). The Parting of the Sulawesi Sea: U.S. Strategy and Transforming the Terrorist Transit Triangle. United States Army Combined Arms Center. Accessed from:weblinkRecognition and achievements
Throughout the years, the AFP received numerous recognitions and commendation within the local sectors, the national government and in the international community. One example is the Philippine Army shooting team, wherein the unit was the overall champion in a two-week competition held in Australia, in 2013.WEB,weblink PA shooting team wins Asian Armies Skills at Arms Meet in Australia, balita.ph – Online Filipino News, May 27, 2014, July 14, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140714150424weblink">weblink dead, The Philippine Army shooting team won 14 gold medals, 50 silver medals and two bronze medals in Australian Army Skills at the Arms Meeting (AASAM) in 2014.WEB,weblink Philippine Army shooters among the best in the world – The Manila Times Online, The Manila Times, May 18, 2014, The 7th Philippine Contingent peacekeepers to the Golan Heights were awarded the prestigious United Nations Service Medal for the performance of their mission.WEB,weblink Pinoy peacekeepers in Golan Heights conferred prestigious UN medal, GMA News Online, April 7, 2014,Ranks
The officer ranks are as follows:weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120701065232weblink">Shoulder Ranks (Officers), The Philippine Army.(archived from the original {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801062829weblink |date=August 1, 2009 }} on July 1, 2012){| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/Philippines}}{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OF/Philippines}}{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OF/Philippines}}{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}These ranks, heavily inspired by those of the United States Armed Forces, are officially used in the Philippine Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. The ranks are more frequently referred and addressed in English rather than in Spanish or Tagalog/Filipino, since English is the working language within the Armed Forces.The ranks in the Philippine Navy are similar to the US Navy ranks, the only difference is the rank of Commodore in the Philippine Navy is equivalent to the Lower Half Rear Admiral of the US Navy.The alternative style of address for the ranks of lieutenant junior grade Lt(jg), lieutenant (Lt), second lieutenant, and first lieutenant are simply lieutenant in English, or tenyente or teniente in Tagalog and Spanish, respectively.File:PMC Martial Arts.JPG|thumb|A Philippine Marine Corps instructor teaches US Marines "Pekiti-Tirsia KaliPekiti-Tirsia KaliThe ranks of enlisted personnel in Filipino are the same as their U.S. counterparts, with some differences. Except in the Marine Corps, never used are the ranks of specialist, sergeant first class, and first sergeant. Lance corporal, gunnery sergeant, and master gunnery sergeant are also never used by the Philippine Marine Corps, whose ranks are the same as the Army's. Additionally, sergeant majors in the AFP are only appointments for senior ranked non-commissioned officers (NCOs) rather than ranks, examples of such appointments being the Command Sergeant Major, AFP (held by a first chief master sergeant or a first master chief petty officer) and the Command Master Chief Petty Officer, Philippine Navy (held by an either MCPO or CMS or a SCPO or SMS).In the Philippine Navy, they also use enlisted ranks which come from the U.S. Navy with their specialization, e.g. "Master Chief and Boatswain's mate Juan Dela Cruz, PN" (Philippine Navy).In effect, the AFP uses the pre-1955 US military enlisted ranks, with several changes, especially in the Navy and in the senior NCO ranks.There are no warrant officers in between officer ranks and enlisted ranks.The uniqueness of Philippine military ranks can be seen in the current highest ranks of first chief master sergeant (for the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force) and first master chief petty officer (for the Navy), both created in 2004, and since then have become the highest enlisted rank of precedence. Prior, first chief sergeant and master chief petty officer were the highest enlisted ranks and rates, the former being the highest rank of precedence for Army, Air Force and Marine NCOs. Today only the rank of first master chief petty officer is unused, but the rank of first chief master sergeant is now being applied.Five-star rank
President Ferdinand Marcos, who acted also as national defense secretary (from 1965 to 1967 and 1971 to 1972), issued an order conferring the five-star officer rank to the President of the Philippines, making himself as its first rank holder.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} Since then, the rank of five-star general/admiral became an honorary rank of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces whenever a new president assumes office for a six-year term, thus making the President the most senior military official.WEB,weblink Ferdinand E. Marcos, September 30, 2013, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080804093918weblink">weblink August 4, 2008, , Malacañang Museum.The only career military officer who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure was President Fidel V. Ramos (USMA 1950) (president from 1992 to 1998) who rose from second lieutenant up to commander-in-chief of the armed forces.WEB,weblink Fidel V. Ramos, April 30, 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080430170805weblink">weblink April 30, 2008, {{failed verification|date=May 2010}}, Malacañang Museum.General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was also made Field Marshal of the Philippine Army with five-star rank in 1938, the only person to hold that rank. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Philippines, holds an equivalent of five-star general under the title Generalissimo and Minister/Field Marshal as the first commander-in-chief of the AFP.The position is honorary and may be granted to any military officer, especially generals or admirals who had significant contributions and showed heroism, only in times of war and national defense concerns and emergencies. The highest peacetime rank is that of four-star general which is being held only by the AFP Chief of Staff. However, no law specifically establishes the rank of five-star general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines unlike in the United States and other countries.Rank insignia
The AFP, like the military forces of Singapore and Indonesia, uses unitary rank insignia for enlisted personnel, in the form of raised chevrons increasing by seniority, same for the Philippine Air Force which uses inverted chevrons from Airman 2nd Class onward only since recently.Rank insignia of the Philippine armed forces, scribd.com. In the Philippine Navy these are supplemented by rating insignia by specialty, similar to the United States Navy. Like the British and Spanish armed services, however, senior ranked NCOs (especially in the Philippine Navy) also wear shoulder rank insignia only on the mess, semi-dress and dress uniforms, and in some cases even collar insignia. Like the US military all NCOs wear sleeve stripes to denote years of service in the enlisted ranks. Sleeve insignia for enlisted personnel in the Army and the Navy are similar but are different from those used in the US while those in the Marine Corps mirror its US counterpart but with special symbols from Master Sergeants onward (adopted in the early 2000s).Officer ranks in the AFP are inspired by revolutionary insignia used by the Philippine Army after the 1898 declaration of independence. These are unitary rank insignia used in the every day, combat, duty and technical uniforms both on shoulders and collars (the latter in the khaki uniforms of the Navy), but in the semi-dress, dress and mess uniforms are different: The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps use unitary rank insignia on the shoulder board but the Navy uses the very same rank insignia format as in the US Navy except for the star (for Ensigns to Captains) in almost all officer uniforms and all general officer and flag officer shoulder boards in the full dress uniform are in gold colored backgrounds with the rank insignia and the AFP seal (the star arrangement is the same in the Army, Air Force and Marines but is different in the Navy). The Navy uses sleeve insignia only on its dress blue uniforms. Lieutenants and Captains wear 1 to 3 triangles (and Navy Ensigns and Lieutenants (junior and senior grades) in their working, duty and combat uniforms) while Majors, Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels wear 1, 2, and 3 suns (both triangles and suns have the ancient baybayin letter ka (K) in the center) as well as Navy superior officers (Lieutenant Commanders, Commanders and Captains) in their working, duty and combat uniforms respectively.Gallery
File:100204-N-3879W-023.jpg|Philippine Navy rigid hull inflatable boats perform a maritime interdiction operation exercise in Manila Bay.File:PMC KAAV-7A1 DAGIT-PA 03-19.jpg|link=|Philippine Marine Corps' KAAV7A1 during DAGIT-PA 03-19 exercisesFile:NAVSOG at the SEACAT 2018 Exercise 002.jpg|NAVSOCOM at the SEACAT 2018 Exercise 002File:Philippine army 11th Alakdan Infantry Division.jpg|Soldiers of the Philippine Army 11th "Alakdan" Infantry DivisionFile:Philippine Army 11th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force .jpg|Sulu Commander Major General William N Gonzales extended his appreciation to the soldiers of the Philippine Army 11th Infantry Division and Joint Task ForceFile:710 SPOW paradrop.jpg|Airmen of the 710th Special Operations Wing prepare to jump from a KC-130 during Parachute Operations training.File:PAF W-3A Sokol.jpg|Philippine Air Force W-3A Sokol in combat helicopter paint scheme before transferring to search and rescue role.File:Philippine Air Force S-70i Black Hawk.jpg|Philippine Air Force S-70i Black HawkFile:2022-03-09 PAF T129.jpg|Philippine Air Force T129B ATAKFile:Two PAF's FA-50PH fighter jets.jpg|Two PAF's FA-50PH fighter jetsFile:BRP Jose Rizal(FF-150).jpg|The BRP Jose Rizal, the first purpose-built vessel of the Philippine NavyFile:PF-15 and SARV-002 CARAT 2013.jpg|BRP Gregorio del Pilar steam in formation together with BRP Edsa Dos during the sea phase of CARAT Philippines 2013.File:2021-02-26 BRP Antonio Luna-Side View.jpg|The BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) Frigate of the Philippine Navy (PN), Photo taken at the Manila South HarborFile:BRP Artemio Ricarte PS37.jpg|The BRP Artemio Ricarte during the 2008 Balikatan exerciseFile:2022-11-18 Super Tucano 001.jpg|link=|Embraer A-29B Super Tucano of the Philippine Air ForceFile:Balikatan 2019 - Marines participate in Combined-Arms Live Fire at CERAB (Image 5 of 12).jpg|Balikatan 2019 - Combined-Arms Live Fire at CERABFile:LAV-300 Vehicle @ 2018 Kalayaan Parade.jpg|A LAV-300 vehicle of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC)File:M-113 Vehicles - Left Oblique View @ 2018 Kalayaan Parade.jpg|Philippine Army M113A2 FSV - 2018 Kalayaan ParadeFile:Sabrah Light Tank.jpg|Philippine army Sabrah Light Tank on paradeFile:M113 with UT-25 Turret - Oblique View @ 2018 Kalayaan Parade.jpg|A Philippine Army M113A2 FSV equipped with a UT30 25mm RCWSFile:Philippine Army ATMOS Live Fire Exercise 010.jpg|Philippine Army ATMOS-2000File:Flag of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.svg|{{center|Flag of the Armed Forces of the Philippines}}File:Flag_of_the_Philippine_Army.svg|{{center|Flag of the Philippine Army}}File:Flag_of_the_Philippine_Air_Force.svg|{{center|Flag of the Philippine Air Force}}File:Flag_of_the_Philippine_Navy.svg|{{center|Flag of the Philippine Navy}}File:Flag_of_the_Philippine_Marine_Corps.svg|{{center|Flag of the Philippine Marine Corps}}File:AFP Battledress patch.svg|{{center|Battledress identification patch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines}}File:Philippine Army Battledress patch.svg|{{center|Philippine Army battledress patch}}File:Philippine Air Force Battledress patch.svg|{{center|Philippine Air Force battledress patch}}File:PM battledress patch.svg|Philippine Marine Corps battledress pocket patchFile:Philippine Navy Battledress patch.svg|{{center|Philippine Navy battledress patch(for NAVSOG Personnel in battledress uniform)}}File:Philippine Armed Forces Emblem 1935-1946 Gold.svg|{{center|Emblem of the Philippine Commonwealth Armed Forces, 1935–1946 (Gold)}}File:Philippine Armed Forces Emblem 1935-1946 Colored.svg|{{center|Shoulder patch of the AFP General Staff, 1946–1965}}{{center|Emblem of the Philippine Commonwealth Armed Forces, 1935–1946}}File:AFP General Staff Patch 1946-1965.svg|{{center|Shoulder patch of the AFP General Staff, 1946–1965}}See also
- AFP Modernization Act
- Security sector governance and reform in the Philippines
- Awards and decorations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
- List of AFP Chiefs of Staff
- List of the AFP Vice Chief of Staff
- List of the AFP Deputy Chief of Staff
- List of the Chief of the Philippine Constabulary
- Women in the Philippine military
- Philippine Constabulary
- Philippine Revolutionary Army
- Military History of the Philippines
- History of the Philippine Army
- List of conflicts in the Philippines
- List of wars involving the Philippines
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}Further reading
- 53rd PC Anniversary Yearbook, 1954 Edition
- {{wikicite |ref={{SfnRef|Comer|2010}} |reference=Charles 'Ken' Comer, Philippine Defense Reform; Are we there yet?, Asia / South Pacific / India. Russian Military Security Watch, November 2010, U.S. Army Foreign Military Studies Office.}}
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