Aquino orders AFP to focus on anti-insurgency campaign

President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III wants the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to prioritize the decimation of communist New People's Army (NPA) rebels — a task the military failed to accomplish under the Arroyo administration. Aquino gave the order Monday during his first command conference at the military’s main headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. “He told us to focus on insurgency. The focus is accomplishment of mission which boils down to insurgency," said Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta. Unlike former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Aquino did not give a time line to end the four-decade-old insurgency. Arroyo, who is now a congresswoman representing the second district of Pampanga, gave the military until June 30, 2010 — the last day of her term as president — to wipe out NPA rebels. The military failed to meet the objective but said it was able to downgrade the communist strength from around 7,000 members to less than 5,000. Mabanta said that during the command conference, Aquino was briefed on the status of the enemies of state, the state of the Armed Forces and its resources, and on the long-overdue modernization program of the military, among others. Mabanta said Aquino did not give specific instructions to the Armed Forces. “This is the first command conference of the President. He is getting inputs which he will need for coming up with his decision-making later on," he said. Mabanta said the command conference also served as the venue for Aquino to get to know the military commanders. “The most important really is he got to know the personalities," he said. “The chain of command was introduced to him. As we said, he does not really know who his commanders are and this command conference afforded him the opportunity to know his commanders in the field." - KBK, GMANews.TV