The twenty-first century Armed Forces of the Philippines: Orphan of counter-insurgency or military geared for the long war of the century?

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

International Studies

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Contemporary Politics

Volume

16

Issue

2

First Page

153

Last Page

171

Publication Date

6-1-2010

Abstract

This article examines the factors that account for the Armed Forces of the Philippines's (AFP) never-ending involvement in many wars of the third kind. It discusses the essence of counterinsurgency warfare or low-intensity conflict in the Philippine setting. The article then notes that the disruption in the US military assistance after 1992, the AFP's inability to modernize, and its continuous campaign against communist and secessionist insurgents have adversely affected its structure and overall combat efficiency. It also analyzes the impact of the global war on terror on the Philippine military's counter-insurgency operations and the reforms undertaken by the Philippine defense establishment to address these issues. In conclusion, the article argues that reforms will not lead to a significant transformation of the AFP as it will continue to be an orphan of counter-insurgency in the near future. However, if wars of the third kind will persist, this situation will paradoxically make the AFP the only military in Southeast Asia aptly geared for the long war of this century. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

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Digitial Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1080/13569771003783885

Disciplines

Defense and Security Studies | Political Science

Keywords

Armed Forces of the Philippines; Counterinsurgency--Philippines

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