President Marcos said the Philippines must be prepared as external threats have become "worrisome."
These more pronounced external threats, Marcos said, are the result of the heightened geopolitical tension in the Indo-Pacific.
The Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan places it in China’s area of interest. That is why it is important that the northern part of the Philippines is well-prepared for any eventuality, he told soldiers during his visit at the Philippine Army’s 5th ID at Camp Melchor dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela on Monday, June 10.
“[T]he external threat now has become more pronounced, has become more worrisome. And that is why we have to prepare,” Marcos said.
“So, that is the mission that you have before you. Now, you have two missions, whereas before it was only internal security," he told the soldiers.
The President stressed that while the Philippines is not taking territory, its leadership has to reorient its thinking and must adopt full commitment to defend the country’s territory.
He added that the national government has to engage in various efforts to maintain peace in the region such as through continued diplomacy.
"We are not trying to take territory. We are not trying to redraw the lines of sovereign territory, the EEZ (exclusive economic zone), the baseline,” he said.
“Hindi natin binabago anything na kahit isang---not even one inch. Ngunit hindi tayo puwedeng pumayag na kukunin naman 'yan sa atin (we are not trying to change anything, not even one inch. But we should not let it be taken away from us)," he added.
According to Marcos, the 5th ID’s mission now includes territorial defense from external threats, as he stressed the importance of providing the Armed Forces of the Philippines with equipment, training, and facilities to make it a highly capable force.
The Commander-in-Chief added that because of the changing geopolitical landscape and emerging new threats, the government decided to include Cagayan as an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site through collaboration with the US, its closest military ally.
Joint Task Force (JTF) Tala covers parts of Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions and the entire Cordillera Administrative Region, supervising the 501st, 502nd, and 503rd Infantry Brigades, Joint Task Group Baguio, Philippine Air Force (PAF) Tactical Operations Group 1, and Tactical Operations Group 2.
Among the current domestic security threats are the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) and Komiteng Rehiyon Cagayan Valley (KRCV) groups.