Commander-in-chief Marcos wants high-security military intel

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos instructed military officials yesterday to provide him with high-level security intelligence as they deal with new challenges in a changing security environment.

Speaking during the oath taking of newly promoted military officials in Malacañang, Marcos noted that the officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are tasked to efficiently manage the organization and its assets and to keep it effective and resilient.

They are also expected to lead and mobilize the nation’s new generation of guardians and future leaders and instill in them the virtues of discipline, valor and patriotic public service, he added.

“But the challenge of nation-building and national security is a continuing and fluid one. The hard work will not and must not cease. Our nation and the citizenry shall exact and expect from you a heavier responsibility and a more demanding kind of public service: that of exemplary leadership and a clear vision for our armed forces,” Marcos, also the military’s commander-in-chief, said.

“High-level of security intelligence and analysis will be expected to fully apprise the commander-in-chief and strategically guide our planning and all of our decision-making,” he added.

Declaring that the AFP is in a “new era,” Marcos said the military is looking outward while building on the gains it made internally. He reminded the military leaders that more challenges would “undoubtedly” lie ahead with the “ever-changing” dynamics of geopolitics and the global security environment.

“But cognizant of these circumstances, the AFP must always emerge effective, formidable and responsive as you have always done, in order that our country’s integrity and interests are defended and are preserved,”  the President said.

“Henceforth, your strategic leadership will be the fulcrum and the compass, so that the AFP will move in the right direction, guided by the Constitution and the democratic principles that we have all sworn to uphold,” he said, assuring the AFP of his support and praising the promoted officials for their collective toil that “secured our country and our people.”

Forty military generals and flag officers took their oath of higher rank before Marcos. Among them were 10 major generals and 14 brigadier generals of the Philippine Army. — Michael Punongbayan, Cecille Suerte Felipe