MindanaoToday.com | Reservist call-up, a defense posture — WPS spokesman
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Relentless effort to strengthen the country’s reserve force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is part of the military modernization program and to project a credible defense posture, but not a preparation for war amid tensions at the disputed West Philippine Sea, a military official said.
Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tristan Tarriela, spokesperson of the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), said these in a press conference here on Friday, August 16, 2024, citing Section 2 of the Philippine Constitution of 1987 which states the country’s renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy.
Section 2 further reads that the Philippines “adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations.”
Tarriela said that while military is one of the four instruments of national power and it serves as a deterrence against external aggression, the NTF-WPS looks at the WPS issues on diplomatic, informational, and economic aspects, other than militarily.
He said the “Takbo Para sa West Philippine Sea” which will be held here on September 8, this year, in this city following the stagings in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu on July 7 and August 11, respectively, is intended to create greater public awareness of the WPS and to instill patriotism in every citizen.
The tensions at WPS, he said, has not strained the country’s trade relations with China as import and export transactions continue and that the fact that both countries keep their embassies indicate “good diplomatic relations.”
As far as the AFP is concerned, credible defense posture “essentially means having adequate ground, air and naval forces that can at the very least deter any aggressive action or threat of attack by a hostile country.”
West Philippine Sea is the official designation by the government of the Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
The term “West Philippine Sea” was used by the Philippine national government in 2011 for purposes of the national mapping system and to symbolize disagreement with China’s sovereignty claim over the whole South China Sea.
RESERVISTS
In Northern Mindanao, the AFP though the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, maintains three battalions of reservists in Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Oriental including Camiguin. These are under the 10th Regional Community Defense Group, Reserve Command (10th RCDG-RESCOM) based at Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Barangay Patag, this city.
“The current effort of the 4th ID is to strengthen our reserve force,” Major General Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the commanding officer of the 4th ID, said in a forum the Presidential Communications Office and the Philippine Information Agency organized on Tuesday, August 12, 2024.
Cuerpo said there have been several incidents worldwide that clearly show reasons why the need to strengthen the country’s reserve force units, though he did not specifically cite the contentious claims over the West Philippine Sea as the country’s external threat.
He said that the 4ID, in coordination with the AFP general headquarters, have been hosting joint military exercises to engage leaders of the reserve force units in training activities to “demonstrate their commitment to excellence and readiness.”
Cuerpo said he personally observed the conduct of a Signal Operations and Leadership Development Training inside the 4th ID camp, July 10-14, 2024, that was participated in by 40 regular, reservist, and non-commissioned officers.
The five-day bilateral military exercise was hosted by the 10th RCDG-RESCOM under the State Partnership Program between the army national guards of Guam and Hawai’i of the United States of America and the AFP.
He said joint military exercises for reservists, involving all the entire AFP organization, were also held at Camp Kibaritan in Kalilangan, Bukidnon and more of these have already been set.
RECRUITMENT
Under the Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7077), all able-bodied Filipinos would compose the Citizen Armed Force who are organized, trained, developed, and maintained to ensure their readiness to immediately respond to the call of service.
As of June 2023, the AFP had 150,000 active-duty personnel and about 1.2 million reservists.
Section 12 of R.A. No. 7077 categorizes citizen soldiers or AFP reservists based on age: 1. 18 to 35; 2. 36 to 51; and 3. Over 51 years old. They are also classified, under Section 12, by operational readiness for immediate deployment: 1. Ready Reserve, 2. Standby Reserve, and 3. Retired Reserve.
In mid-2022, the Philippine Army (PA) thru the 4th ID announced the recruitment of 100 reservist officers for call to active duty tour for training (CADTT) to address the low officer fill-up of the PA, while improving the professional competence and leadership quality of its reserve component.
Those hired were given ranks from second lieutenant (2LT) to lieutenant colonel (LTC) whose ages ranged from 35 to 54 years old. (MT)
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