Introduction

Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP)is a military forces of the Philippines. AFP

consists three main service branches, the Philippines Army, the Navy (including the

Marine Corp), and the Philippines Air Force. Philippine Army’s is to develop, train,

organize and equip, deploy and sustain ground forces in for the Filipino nation create

an environment conducive for sustainable development and just and lasting peace.

Philippine Navy defends territory from external aggression and securing Philippine

marine resources and maritime areas from all forms of intrusions and encroachment,

piracy and drug trafficking. Philippine Airforce organizes, train and equip forces for

prompt and sustained air operations for the defense of the Philippines. Armed forces of

the Philippines facing the internal and external security problems. Political and

Economic context that contributes to the Military, AFP is ill-equipped to meet current

security challenges. The AFP is fraught with corruption, troops are poorly led, ill-

disciplined and allegedly frequently engage un human rights abuses. Internal threats,

Philippine Army are facing the myriad of rebel groups, communist, Islamist, and ethno-

national have some legitimate grievance and their movements are fueled by abuses of

government forces. External threats, the Philippines has the fewest capabilities to

defend claims and prevent external aggression with maritime security with regard to

West Philippine Sea. While the other states in the region are developing submarines and

anti-missiles, to deter enemy, the Philippines Navy is barely able to muster a sustained

surveillance capability. The Philippine Air Force comprising with ageing fleet of Vietnam-

era fixed wing and rotary aircraft. Philippines Commission on Audit virtually has non-

existent air deterrent capability and is ill-equipped to be operationally responsive to

national security and development.

 Methodology

In able to determine the weaknesses of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

including its branches, quantitative research was used to identify its weaknesses

through quantifiable evidence. The researchers used documentary analysis to come up

in gathering data wherein documents are reviewed by the researchers to assess an

appraisal theme, dissected and analyzed the documents and compiled it to come up

with the results. The population of this research are from the different legitimate sources

in the internet which are government-based sources, in order for the researchers to

have an accurate information.

 Results and Discussions

The problems encountered in the Armed Forces of the Philippines is that they

have lacking in potential to go in to war. Just like in the war of Marawi City wherein it

took five months to be done, it was because troops and weapons and any other

materials are out-numbered. AFP especially in the Philippine Army are lacking in

vehicles for battle like tanks, Philippine Army also have a low calibers of gun unlike for

the terrorists who have the most high-equipped and high caliber guns. For the Philippine

Air Force, they don’t know exactly where is the location of their enemy or the base of

the enemy, wherein many troops are being killed because of that incident, meaning

knowledge and tactics of the Philippine Air Force are not good and so as to the aircraft

that they used for battle. For the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ intelligence and

planning, it is not also competent enough because their defense is weak, that’s why

many soldiers are being killed during the war. As stated by Gotica, 2019, “Armed Forces

of the Philippines is low in terms of military capability”.

According to Abuza,2012, the “AFP is ill-equipped to meet security challenges”.

Military expenditure is limited, the 18-year defense reform program is slow out of the

starting blocks, the inventory comprises ageing second-hand equipment, and 125,00

military personnel remain poorly trained, ill-disciplined, and mired in corruption. The

Philippines has been confronted with multiple and simultaneous insurgencies. While not

posing an existential threat to the state, they are drain on resources and inhibit faster

economic development. The rebels and terrorist are being poured with grievance

because of the abuses of the government forces. Another problem is that, the AFP are

lack of air support also they just have a minimal air support and for land support, it was

too weak and slow. Also, the chain-of-command, the relationship between the

government and the AFP are not good, just like what happened in the SAF troops that

they just deployed them without planning carefully and because of that, they died

because of no coordination and incompetency between the leader of the

Government and the AFP.

 “Despite a host of internal security threats that show little sign of abating, the

Philippines has become more preoccupied by external threats to its maritime interest in

the South China Sea, which is claimed by the People’s Republic of China. The

Philippines has been looking to the US to defend its sovereignty” stated by Abuza, 2012

in his special report entitled Philippines; Internal and External Security Challenges. The

reality is, of all claimants, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Philippines, Philippines has the

fewest capabilities to defend their claims and prevent external aggression. While the

other country is fast developing and have their own radar, submarines, anti-missile

equipment, patrol-craft and long range maritime aircraft, the Philippines is barely able

to muster a sustained surveillance capability to deter our enemy.

According to the Global Nation Inquirer 2015, a government site, “Philippines Air

Force has acknowledged its weaknesses in territorial defense in strategic plan”. The Air

Force cited limited equipment, base and facilities for territorial defense, as well as

inadequate training and absence of established doctrines for territorial defense. Air

Force has also limited capability for humanitarian assistance and disaster response

operations and limited equipage for international peacekeeping operations.

As stated by Kyodo, 2018, the “Philippine Navy is one of the weakest maritime

defense forces in Southeast Asia”. The Philippines focused more on internal threats

wherein they are no longer giving priority to the Philippines Navy leaving the Philippines’

island become vulnerable to threats like China’s assertiveness in taking control of

disputed territory.

Philippine Navy (PN) flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad -"I don't

plan to have our ships merely docked at a pier". The Philippines navy not having

enough logistics, making it hard to perform their assigned tasks. The strategic sealift

vessel, BRP Tarlac (LD-601), having its "technical problem" while having the route to its

first-ever visit in Vladivostok, Russia. The PAF did resolve the problem a short time but this

does not extinguish the fact that they had the help from Russia and Korea for the

replacement of damaged part of the ship. Yes, the repair is hard but it is different from
the Philippine Airforce Force not being prepared enough for such problems. Even if we

did have a source of supply, the AFP is still hindered because of financial matters. The

Philippine Navy can’t buy war ships, submarines and other maritime equipment

because there is no budget that is for the upgradation of the Philippine Navy.
 Recommendation

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is responsible for upholding sovereignty,

supporting the constitution, and defending the territory of the Republic of the

Philippines against all enemies foreign and domestic; advancing the national aims,

interest, and policies; and planning the organization, maintenance and development,

and deployment of its regular and citizen armed force for National Security. Therefore,

at all means the AFP should strengthen their branches to defend our country,

Philippines. The Armed Forces of the Philippines should also speed up its modernization

and professionalism process. For the AFP’s case about unjust use of forces, the AFP

should still need to work on their responsibilities because there are still human rights

violations committed by the soldiers and CAFGU, it is important to highlight

institutionally, violations are taken seriously and are not tolerated by the organization.

The AFP is highly recommended to add their weapons, air crafts, and maritime

equipment/vehicles, in that case, lack of weapons in war will not be a problem. War is

unpredictable what if the enemy of the country who is fully equipped will declared a

war against us, we should not rely on other countries who are helping us. We should

know how to stand in our own feet to defend our land, our territory, our nation.

The AFP is recommended to maintain their full training including the auxiliaries, so

that in the future, they may be able to competently defend the land. Using the

strategies and plans that the team have learned it will now have a great impact to

wars and operations. We may also adapt training strategies of other countries that

would benefit our soldiers for them to have a wider view of their capabilities and

strengths.

The Philippine army is lacking in planning, strategy, techniques and tactics, and

also training. Therefore, Philippine Army training center should implement and impose

strict but humane training and develop greater academic standard so that the soldier

will be wise and well-disciplined soldiers in the future.

 The Philippine Air Force has no enough air craft for wars, the government should

budget some fund for the Air Force so that they would have a good and well-

functioning aircraft that would be use in times of insurgencies.

The Philippine Navy should upgrade their standard, especial the equipment that

they used in maritime patrolling, government should keep an eye to them and fund the

Navy so that they can buy some equipment that would help them improve their

maritime security capabilities.

 References:

www.army.mil.ph

https://www.disu.edu.ph>20...

https://www.paf.mil,ph

https://www.files.ethz.ch>isn

https://globalnation.inquirer.net

https://afp-fresh.weebly.com>about

http://www.afp.com
 Table of Contents

Pages

Introduction……………………………………………………………1

Methodology ………………………………………………………….2

Results and Discussions……………………………………………...3-5

Recommendation…………………………………………………….6-7

References……………………………………………………………….8
Weaknesses of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

In partial fulfillment for the requirements in LEA-1

Submitted by:

Bagayan, Jomar

Binay-an, Juliet E.

Castuera, John Joseph

Erot, Lalima Karen

Hulinganga, Percival

Las-egan, Kent Wiltz

Longboan, Rona

Date:

July 31, 2019