VICE President Jejomar Binay batted for equipping the Armed Forces with “proper skills and tools” to effectively respond to disaster and calamity-relief operations as he cited the military’s role during the rescue operations in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Dumaguete at the height of killer Typhoon Sendong.

“As we continue to maintain a healthy national defense capability, it is also proper that we equip our men and units with the skills and tools needed to take on the evolving theater of civil-military operations for calamity relief and disaster response,” Binay said.

Addressing a Christmas gathering of the Association of General and Flag Officers, Binay affirmed that efforts have been started to put this into effect “through the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] Modernization Program.”

“The leadership of both the AFP and the PNP have made rescue and relief efforts a top priority and we expect the allocation of more manpower to be of great aid in managing this crisis,” he added.

At the same time, Binay suggested the possibility of the AFP working with civilian authorities in accomplishing national development objectives, which foundation has already been laid in the current Internal Peace and Security Plan (Bayanihan). 

He said the Bayanihan project highlights the “power of civil-military operations in winning hearts and minds, and in so doing, securing peace.”

He also suggested that the AFP can play a vital role in insuring the quality and delivery of infrastructure, and should emulate the German and Chinese armies who were actively involved in constructing critical facilities for their respective countries.

“For an armed forces to remain relevant, it must be a partner in development, and not an obstacle to it,” he reiterated.