President Marcos has urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to "be ready" in defending the country from emerging threats.
Speaking at the oath taking ceremony of promoted AFP generals and flag officers on Friday, Oct. 27, Marcos said he expects that the AFP will be "more agile, flexible, and responsive" in addressing issues confronting the country's security.
"We must be ready. Our Armed Forces must be capable of securing and defending the archipelago from emerging threats," he said.
Marcos further said that the AFP must not only anticipate but also be ready "to adapt and respond to emerging national security and defense realities that exist in our country and in our region."
"I place emphasis on this at the outset, in light of the continuing changes and emerging developments in our nation’s evolving security landscape. Your new positions and ranks shall place you at the forefront, both familiar and new and novel defense and security challenges that we now face," he stressed.
To do this, the AFP must further enhance joint planning and operations to ensure interoperability across all its units and platforms, Marcos added.
The President told them to sustain and foster greater collaboration with other government agencies and civil society groups in order to harness their respective knowledge, specializations, and technical expertise in coming up with innovative, effective, and efficient solutions to the challenges that stand in the way of achieving peace and unity.
He also enjoined them to help ensure that the communities once under conflict are benefitting from the gains of peace and development interventions.
The Chief Executive assured them of the "administration’s unshakable commitment" to the AFP's protection and welfare and are provided with the necessary tools to perform their tasks and duties.
Marcos administered the oath of office of the newly-promoted AFP generals and flag officers in a ceremony at the Malacañan Palace.
The newly-promoted AFP Chief of Staff, General Romeo Saturnino Brawner, was among those who took oath before the Commander-in-Chief, followed by 30 other newly-promoted AFP officers.