NEWS

AFP lists accomplishments

Lade Jean Kabagani

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has engaged in at least 25 bilateral and three multilateral activities in terms of defense and security.

Among these wide-ranging engagements are with the United States, Japan, Singapore, Australia, China, Indonesia, India, Canada, South Korea, and Finland, according to the AFP.

On Saturday, the AFP highlighted some of its accomplishments during the first 100 days of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration.

"These accomplishments include gains in internal peace and security operations, external defense, modernization, and capability development, and international bilateral and multi-lateral engagements," AFP Public Affairs Office chief, Col. JorryBaclor said in a statement.

Contributing to the country's internal security and stability, Baclor said the AFP dismantled five guerilla fronts of the New People's Army, neutralized 310 members of the communist terrorist group and recovered 300 firearms.

About 58 members of the local terrorist group were neutralized, recovering 54 firearms.

The AFP was also part of the successful oath-taking of new parliament members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, represented by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front.

It has also been assisting the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Reconciliation, and Unity in the ongoing decommissioning of MILF personnel and firearms.

A total of 19,345 MILF combatants have so far been decommissioned as part of the normalization track in Bangsamoro.

Government forces were also able to collect 2,450 firearms under the decommissioning program and conducted 77 maritime and 44 air patrols.

The AFP utilized its existing maritime and air domain awareness platforms, resulting in the detection of 32,273 vessels passing through Philippine waters.

Some 50 projects were completed under the AFP's Horizons 1 and 2 moderation program, with 85 projects remaining under

There are still 85 remaining projects that shall be implemented, under RA 10349, or the Revised Armed Forces Modernization Act, during the Marcos administration.

AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro reaffirmed the soldiers' commitment to "excellent public service and selfless performance of its duty."

"As protector of the people of the state, the AFP shall remain one of the catalysts for unity and progress," he added.

Bacarro said the AFP will continue to support the government's whole-of-nation approach "to building secure, resilient, and progressive communities leading towards a bright future for all Filipinos."