AFP to field 5,000 reservists in Metro Manila

Some 5,000 reservists of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be mobilized on a "voluntary" basis to comprise a bulk of the personnel deployed for various AFP missions in Metro Manila, a military official said yesterday.

The reservists, who will be tapped from the National Capital Region and supplement the administrative and office staff of the military’s National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM), will be replacing most of the fighting units which have been earlier deployed in communities declared as "high security risks" due to the presence of alleged "communist front organizations."

"We recognize a paradigm shift in fighting the more than three decades of communist insurgency led by the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army in the country," NCRCOM commander Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino told The STAR.

At the same time, Dolorfino confirmed that he has already given orders to prohibit the carrying of automatic rifles and the donning of full combat gear among the 600 soldiers stationed in 26 barangays in Metro Manila.

Instead, the soldiers will be wearing their military office uniforms.

This major policy change decision, Dolorfino said, would give their task "a more civilian face and character" which, he stressed, "is more befitting to the AFP’s mission to uplift the conditions of poor urban communities in the metropolis."

The reservists — especially those who are professionals like doctors, dentists, engineers, teachers and lawyers — will be called upon purely on a "voluntary" basis to represent the AFP in different communities in Metro Manila, he stressed.

They will form part of the teams that will be sent on medical-dental missions; engineering works for building/repairing community halls and daycare centers; improving drainage systems; and on conducting free livelihood seminars and classes and even free legal consultation services.

"We must address the root causes of the insurgency – grinding poverty, diseases, and ignorance," Dolorfino explained, "Thus, we need the appropriate tools for community development and upliftment.

"We have decided that the use of brooms, shovels, and pikes is more useful than guns in community building."

Metro troops would still be allowed to carry .45 caliber pistol sidearms for security and in extreme cases, Dolorfino said, the units will be permitted to carry long rifles.

Meanwhile, Dolorfino said the NCRCOM is ready to assist the national police during the midterm elections if called upon by President Arroyo.

Nevertheless, the current plan is for Dolorfino’s men to return to barracks before May 14.

Dolorfino admitted that the AFP has committed mistakes in the past which have opened the institution to criticisms of "militarization" in Metro Manila especially since it is not a declared combat zone.

Meanwhile, Malacañang clarified yesterday that the President’s directive for the AFP to augment police forces to prevent election-related violence would be done in accordance with the rules of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye also noted that the directive would not violate the terms of the memorandum of agreement signed between the Comelec and the AFP regarding the role of the military during elections. – Karlo Baylosis, Marvin Sy