President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has asked Filipino soldiers to become peacemakers as the government carries out a new approach to dealing with the communists and terrorist groups it is trying to eliminate.

Marcos said this as he talked to the troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 's 9th Infantry Division (ID) at Camp Elias Angeles, San Jose in Pili, Camarines Sur.

In his speech on March 16, the President said that the government will now present rebels with "other options."

"We are asking you to be peacemakers because we have changed our approach to the communist, terrorist groups that we have been encountering," he said.

"We are now not only presenting them with a military force. We are presenting them with other options. We are presenting them with a life after their life as rebels," he added.

"And that, I think, has become the reason why we have slowly succeeded in the so-called whole-of-society, whole-of-nation approach in terms of our dealings with these groups that originally would like to bring down the government by armed struggle," he continued.

According to the President, the "peacekeeping" mission of the military came as he observed that the insurgency situation in the Bicol Region has evolved and appears to have gained some stability.

"Although they technically have not abandoned the concept of armed struggle, I think they – efforts of those dissidents had been redirected in another way," he said.

"That's why your role as the Philippine military continues to be as warfighters, but now there is the additional mission that we are asking of you to be peacemakers," he added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive asked the personnel of the 9th ID to become peacemakers under the government's whole-of-nation approach and actively guard the nation's borders against external threats amid the current geopolitical tension in Asia.

Marcos said Asia's situation is becoming more complicated, and the country faces difficult external threats.

"With the geographical location of the 9th ID, we can see that it is very close to some of the disputed areas kung saan pumapasok ang mga iba't ibang barko (where different ships enter)," he said.

"Kailangan din nating bantayan ‘yan. Kaya’t ito na naman ay isa pang panibagong mission ninyo (We need to guard that as well. This is an additional mission for you),” the Commander-in-Chief  told the troops.