President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. did not need a loyalty check during the year-end command conference of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday, Dec. 20, as he stressed his utmost support for the military.

This was confirmed by AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. when asked if the Commander-in-Chief needed a loyalty check during the gathering attended by top military officials amid rumors of destabilization against his administration.

“Wala naman, hindi nagkaroon ng loyalty check (There was no loyalty check). What was important in the command conference is that we presented the accomplishments of the AFP all throughout the years,” the military chief said.

According to Brawner, they presented updates on the internal security operations, particularly the campaign against insurgency.

“We compared the peak of the New People's Army at 25,200 fighters in the late ‘80s. Now, it’s down to 1,000,” he said.

The AFP also presented to Marcos a new military campaign plan called “Tatak Kapuluan” which envisions a resilient and secure archipelago through synchronized and holistic national efforts.

“[It] encompasses all the operations that we need to do to protect our people and secure the state, secure the land,” Brawner said.

The new plan includes integrated internal security operations and external defense, as well as efforts to protect the country’s interest in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Marcos also directed the AFP to strengthen not only the cybersecurity defense in military camps but also the entire country.

“This is becoming a bigger threat to our country. We are enhancing our cybersecurity. He asked the AFP to also look into protecting not just the AFP but the entire country when it comes to cybersecurity,” Brawner said.