In the past six years, the security, justice, and peace situation in the country significantly improved for the benefit and welfare of all Filipinos, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana declared Monday, May 30.
Lorenzana, head of the Security, Justice, and Peace Cabinet Cluster (SJPCC), said the outgoing administration of President Duterte was able to hit its six strategic goals that contributed to the overall development of the country.
The six strategic goals were protection of national territory and boundaries, attainment of just and lasting peace, strengthening of rule of law, ensuring the welfare of Overseas Filipinos, institutionalization of an efficient and impartial justice system, and advancement and protection of human rights.
Along with the feats were the setbacks and challenges that were faced and addressed by the administration which, Lorenzana said, helped in shaping up Duterte’s “legacy” in the defense and security aspects.
“Maasahan ninyo na patuloy ang Security, Justice, and Peace Cabinet Cluster sa pagsuporta sa ating mga kababayan at pagtiyak sa seguridad ng bansa (Rest assured that the Security, Justice, and Peace Cabinet Cluster will continue to support the people and ensure the security of the country),” Lorenzana said during the Duterte Legacy Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
National territory, boundaries
According to Lorenzana, the administration knew the importance of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) capability-building for them to be able to protect the national territory and interests of the country.
From 2016 to 2022, there were 6,958 naval surface patrols and 6,432 air patrols that were conducted by the military to ensure that the country’s national territory and boundaries were protected.
However, security challenges continued to hound the government as international reports found out that there were new structures being built in the Philippine-claimed territories in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
American defense and security solutions provider Simularity said the most recent of which was China’s new developmental works in Zamora (Subi) Reef, approximately 26 kilometers from Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands).
For its part, the Philippines also successfully built new structures and infrastructures in Pag-asa Island including a beaching ramp and the repair of its airstrip. There were also improved structures in six other Philippine-claimed and occupied islands in WPS namely Kota, Parola, Panata, Likas, Lawak, and Panguan.
The DND also bought modernized equipment and assets for the AFP such as two missile-capable frigates, six close air support aircraft, and 16 combat utility helicopters, radars, and missile systems among others.
“These new assets will further strengthen our humanitarian assistance and disaster response, air, maritime, and land defense as well as joint command and control capabilities,” Lorenzana said.
Just and lasting peace
To cultivate an environment where just and lasting peace will thrive, Lorenzana said that the Duterte administration turned its attention to addressing the five-decades-old communist insurgency problem with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
He said 56 guerilla fronts were dismantled from 2016 to 2022, and 314 communist leaders were “neutralized,” which means they were either killed, surrendered, or got arrested.
Other threat and terrorist groups were also pummeled by the AFP. The Defense Chief said 1,544 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members; 971 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF); and 1,427 Dawlah Islamiyah (DI) members were also neutralized by the military.
He also cited the signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law which created the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This paved the way for the decommissioning of some 19,200 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and 2,100 weapons.
But the administration was accused of blatant red-tagging, military and police harassment against Left-leaning activists and progressive groups, disinformation amd misinformation, and rampant killings which were blamed by human rights organizations to Duterte’s “emboldening” acts.
Rule of law
Lorenzana highlighted the gains in the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign when he mentioned the success in the preservation of rule of law in the country.
According to government’s data, P88.83 billion worth of illegal drugs were confiscated in 233,356 operations. More than 6,000 drug suspects were killed and 336,000 others were arrested in these operations.
The biggest dent in this feat, however, was the allegation of human rights violations thrown by international and local rights groups to the administration especially with the extrajudicial killings perpetrated by masked motorcycle-riding gunmen.
Under the bloody drug war was the deaths of several children and teens who were "sorry" casualties of the campaign, perhaps the most prominent of whom was 17-year-old Kian Lloyd delos Santos, who was brutally murdered by the police in Caloocan City in 2017.
Overseas Filipinos
Meanwhile, Lorenzana said the welfare of Overseas Filipinos was also prioritized by the government.
He said new embassies and consulates were opened in different countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania to address the concerns and monitor the condition of Filipinos living or working abroad. These include Denmark, Morocco, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Australia, and Japan among others.
“We work hard to ensure the welfare of our overseas filipinos. We engage both both traditional and non-traditional partners in our pursuit of strengthening international ties and leveraging our relations with other countries,” Lorenzana said.
Efficient justice system
Further, part of the SJPCC’s mandate is to institutionalize an efficient and impartial justice system in the country.
“Pinabilis po natin ang pagresolba sa mga kaso under preliminary investigation. Pinataas din natin ang disposition rate ng criminal cases sa ating piskalya (We hastened the resolution of cases under preliminary investigation. We also improved the disposition rate of criminal cases in our fiscals),” Lorenzana said.
Free and swift legal assistance were also provided by the government to poor Filipinos who were accused of or became victims of crimes and abuse as more public attorneys were hired by the government nationwide.
Human rights
Lastly, Lorenzana said the administration strived to strengthen and uphold human rights in the country.
“To advance the cause of human rights in the country, we signed the United Nations joint program on technical cooperation and capacity building for the protection and promotion of human rights in the Philippines,” he said. The program is now being implemented by the Department of Justice.
In addition, Lorenzana said the Philippines was also reelected to the UN Human Rights Council which it served from 2019 to 2021.