In line with the new armed forces’ security plan, President Aquino, who is also the AFP commander-in-chief, is set to hold his first command conference for the year, where he is expected to give his command guidance.

Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr., AFP spokesman, said among the brightest prospects for the year are the stalled peace negotiations finally pushing through both with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the New People’s Army (NPA).

Mabanta said that as the AFP embraces a paradigm shift in peace- building, it also looks forward to coming up with a negotiated ceasefire.

In coming up with the IPSP Bayanihan, which replaced the “Oplan Bantay Laya” implemented during the previous administration, the AFP recognized that the decades-long strategy, employed by the government that puts premium on military solution, remains inadequate in effectively addressing internal security threats.

Hence, the AFP embarked on a paradigm shift in the way it views its constitutional mandate “as the protector of the people and the state.”

The AFP said while it recognized that the conventional training and capacity of the military are necessary to address internal armed threats, it is even more crucial to broaden the “protector” assigned to the institution to one that not only promotes national security, but more importantly, human security.

As such, it is now initiating the implementation of the IPSP “Bayanihan,” which sets direction to military units for the next six years.

The IPSP is anchored on the President’s national security strategy which emerges from the realization of lasting peace and stability, development and social progress, through a multi-stakeholder approach focused on the protection of the citizens’ rights and civil liberties.

It involves a paradigm shift wherein the perspective is on winning the peace, rather than defeating the enemy.

There will be equal emphasis on the combat and non-combat dimension of the campaign such that efforts are not only focused on combat operations but also give importance to the peaceful settlement of conflicts.

Under the new security plan, parameters of success will also place importance on the number of friends won, contrasted to enemies killed.

It is characterized by an increasing involvement of stakeholders from the government side and the civil society comprising “whole-of-nation approach,” at the same time advocates the “people-centered approach” under the broader frame of human security as the AFP seeks to protect the people, while at the same time supporting their capacity development, and recognizing their indispensable role as partners in peace and security.

The new plan is also characterized with a strict adherence to the International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law.

Through this new plan, the AFP articulates its desire and commitment to the peaceful and just settlement of conflicts and firm belief that lasting peace and security are a shared vision and undertaking among the security sector, stakeholders, and the entire citizenry.

Elena Aben, Manila Bulletin