Philippines Army faces big reform

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 10

Philippines Army faces big reform

i i , JI NZPA-Reuter | ! i Manila President; Corazon Aquino yesterday ordered sweeping reforms of the Philippines Army ' in i a back-to-basics strategy to beat the growing Communist insurgency. She told senior iAriny officers she would abolish the much-criticised Unified Regional Command structure and give field commanders more < independence to take on the guerrilla New; Pebjple’s Army in the jungles and mountains. ! 11 ;. “I want more, men behind guns, less behind desks,” she told senior officers and troops celebrating the ninety-first anniversary of the Philippines Armed Forces, j The pledge to end the unified command brought loud applause. ! It had , widely ,been seen as a hangover? from Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law regime, enabling him to secure (the Army under his I personal patronage system.) [ ii The speech was; the second time in two [weeks that Mrs Aquino has moved head-on to tackle the Armed Forces, which has tried several times to overthrow her since she succeeded Mr Marcbs two years ago.; I j ; ) I | ? In a blunt message to graduating cadets ait the elite, Philippines Military Academy earlieH this month she itoid the Army to out of and get back to fighting an insurgency, recently spread to the capital, that is now entering its I twentieth year- ' ! !|' ' 7 J 'ii i I • > I ■ [ It | is the first, time ; Mrs Aquino has moved to

institute changes in the way the 160,000-strong regular military machine operates. I , 1 j Analysts sdid the two speeches j reflected a growing confidence in her ability to command Army’s ibyalty and followed a strategy mapped out by the Defence Secretary, Fidel Ramos, the former Chief of W. \T [I I | Generals in' the field have complained they have been hamstrung the unified system, which)in essence referred hll [main troop movements? and battle strategies ba,ck Jo the Manila headquarters!. Mrs ? Aquino said she wanted a higher ratio of combat units' to support staff and lan increasing number of “contadts”| by patrols. H [I [ [ There should be more foot patrols to get troops away from roads find into the hills and reduce the) dependence on motorised transport vulnerable to) 'mines, she said. ;!’ ;??['. ;! [ '■ Mrs Aquino again | drew a clear distinction between! military| and civil responsibilities; and pledged to back a stepped-up fighting effort, with better Government in; a countryside where communications ; are oftejn non-existent and which is remote from Manila’s [influence. I ) [ ? ;[? “Wherje there is[ effective Government there can be; no! viable insurgency,” she said. Health, social services, education, agriculture and ■ public workjs werle?“ih the front-line of the! antiinsurgency fight.”| I H ' ;•); ,!j ; ; I |i?| : i : j? “The renewed faith [in Government since (Mart cos) must be kept] alive and only leadership can do This [is the best 1 propaganda,” she! said.