Newly installed Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. on Tuesday admitted that the task of leading the Armed Forces is overwhelming but he is confident that he can do a good job in the next nine months of his term.
“The task of leading the Armed Forces is simply overwhelming. However, I am confident that we can do all these, knowing that we have a very capable, better equipped, professional, and solid team AFP that is able to take on the multifarious roles of civil-military cooperation, support to law enforcement authorities in the fight against criminality and illegal drugs, defense of our sovereign territory, and the application of military force against terrorists and other armed groups, all at the same time,” Madrigal said in a speech he delivered during the retirement and change of command ceremony at the Lapu-Lapu grandstand in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Madrigal said the 135,000-strong military has already achieved significant developments in their peace and security agenda, especially ushered in by the strategic moves initiated by no less than President Duterte to personally dialogue with the Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front leaders, the different tribal leaders, local chief executives, and even former rebels.
“Today, peace-inclined armed groups are now working in tandem with government. Our relentless pursuit of terror cells identified with Dawlah Islamiya, Abu Sayyaf, and remnants of the Maute Group have greatly reduced their terror threat, constricted their movements, and disrupted their terroristic plans,” Madrigal said.
“Likewise, the active participation of our local executives and stakeholders has resulted in the windfall of surrendered personalities from the communist terrorist group. These clearly show that we are on the right path to achieving lasting peace and sustainable development for our people, but to really put an end to insurgency and achieve conflict resilient communities, we still need a more sustained, united, and determined effort,” he added. (Francis T. Wakefield)