Philippine Army soldiers stand at attention during the celebration of the 126th Philippine Army Founding Anniversary in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, on March 22, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — The Philippine military is targeting to launch this year a new military command that will be in charge of strategic operations to enhance deterrence amid evolving security challenges.

AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said the new command will also oversee joint military exercises with the country’s defense and security ally and partners.

“Ang sinabi ng ating chief of staff about the creation ng command na ito ay para magkaroon tayo ng mabilis na reaction time. We are, actually, doing three things—ang CCC. We are collaborating, calibrating ang coiling like a spring,” Padilla said in a chance interview during the Balikatan Media Night at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“With the creation of this, we are getting ready so that in any eventuality, we are not going to get ready, but we are already ready,” she told reporters.

“Ang tinitignan natin dito ay ang fusion ng ating triad—ang intelligence natin, ang ating CMO [civil-military operations], as well as our operations, para ang fusion nitong tatlo ay mas madali; ang speedy decision making."

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During his visit to the Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga on Sunday, AFP chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. bared that the military is setting up the Strategic Defense Command within the year.

Brawner likened the new command to the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Joint Operations Command (JJOC).

Established in March, the JJOC operates as a permanent joint headquarters to facilitate the centralized command of the JSDF’s service branches—ground, air and maritime—during peacetime and in times of emergency. 

The JJOC aims to enhance the defense forces’ ability to simultaneously respond to contingencies and disasters.

The AFP recently activated the Intelligence Command and reorganized the Cyber Command to enhance the military’s ability to address emerging security threats.

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“Ang AFP, we have been evolving with the contemporary challenges we are facing. We have been creating units to address the modern challenges we are facing right now. We have created our Cyber Command and came up with our Intelligence Command,” Padilla explained.

She then continued, “The fusion of all of these comes to mind. The same ito with what Japan has. Sa kanila, madali silang magreact, hindi lang for defense but also sa mga sakuna, for HADR [humanitarian assistance and disaster response]. So, this will be a foundation and a basis for us to quickly react to scenarios.”

The military will also look into the best practices of other countries, according to Padilla.

“We see that [for] Japan, maganda ito. It works for them. So, we will also take that as a model. Also, the best practices of other countries, kukunin din natin ito, pagsasama-samahin natin ito,” the military spokesperson said.

She went on, “The overarching premise is we do not reinvent the wheel. Whatever works for other countries, whatever country that may be, we can fuse all these together to our advantage.”

Padilla said a thorough review will be conducted before the new unit is created.

“We’re looking at creating this within the year. Wala pa tayong actual timeline for this because it will go through the normal process. For the creation of a unit, nirereview lahat iyan—kung ano ang magiging composition ng unit, who will lead, kung kaya natin i-fuse ang efforts together to come up with this unit,” the official noted. 

“Usually, mga ganyan will go through a provisional stage until such time na mabuo natin itong unit na ito.”

The Balikatan exercises between the armed forces of Manila and Washington are currently under the AFP’s Education, Training and Doctrine Command.

Once formed, all joint military trainings and exercises will fall under the AFP Strategic Defense Command’s responsibility.

“Gagawin natin ang unit na ito to specifically address all of these trainings na ginaganap natin kasi talaga namang yearly, we are doing this. Nakikita natin na lumalaki at lumalaki na itong trainings we are conducting. Itong exercises na ito ay lumalawak na lumalawak ang scope niya,” Padilla said.

“So, lahat ito, it marries all our efforts together—ang modernization natin, marami na tayong new equipment that came in, kasama na diyan ang training,” she added.

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