'In conflict, Phl must fight first before seeking help'

In case of war, the Philippines will have to fight and defend itself first before turning to the United States and other allies for help, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said yesterday.

- By MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN

He raised the scenario in a speech at the opening of this year’s ninth iteration of Armed Forces Joint Exercise “Dagat-Langit Lupa” (AJEX-DAGITPA) at Camp Aguinaldo, where he also emphasized the importance of readiness through continuous training, modernization and adapting to modern challenges.

“So this exercise is really valuable in the sense that we will learn so much about the Armed Forces of the Philippines and we will learn how we will need to adapt to the new challenges, the new threats that we are facing today and the threats that we will be facing in the future. Kailangan natin talaga (we really need to be) one step ahead, one step ahead,” Brawner said.

He said AJEX-DAGITPA’s training events are also “strategic rehearsals for real world contingencies, validating our concepts of operation under the comprehensive archipelagic defense concept (CADC) and the territorial defense plan Bantay Kalayaan” as well as the military’s new unilateral defense plan.

“In the event of war on our soil, our ally and our partners are expecting us to fight the war ourselves during the first part of the conflict. We do the fighting first. That's why our unilateral defense plan and this exercise we're doing are very important,” Brawner said.