By: Francis T. Wakefleld
The Armed Forces of the Philippines yesterday welcomed President Duterte’s request to lawmakers for 20,000 more soldiers to fill the void left by those deployed in Marawi City and the rest of Mindanao.
AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, in an interview during the Manila Bulletin Hot Seat at the Manila Bulletin main office in Intramuros, Manila, said the President relayed the request of the Armed Forces to Congress for reinforcements.
Padilla said that the additional troops will be deployed in key areas of the country where soldiers temporarily left and where New People’s Army rebels exist.
“We welcome the request of the President for additional troops para mapunuan ang ating kakulangan ng kasandaluhan na mabantayan ang lahat ng dako ng ating kapuluan na iniiwanan natin na karamihan or kadalasan eh binabalikan ng NPA,” Padilla said.
“So itong bilang na ito, ang unang gagawin dito ay punuan ang mga units na may kakulangan ng tao at iyung matitira ay ilalagay sa panibagong units,” he added.