Why not joint exercises for PNP and AFP

August 7, 2018 Opinion Sideglance

A recent news report announced that the Philippine Army is currently participating in the Armed Forces of the Philippines Joint Exercise (AJEX) dubbed as Dagat, Langit at Lupa (DAGIT- PA) 2018 that officially kicked-off at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.

As further reported the DAGIT-PA is the level up of the original Interoperability Exercise between the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Navy, with the integration this year of the Philippine Army and AFP Special Operation Forces. It is a unilateral exercise focusing on the development of the AFP capability on Joint Operations. The report also goes on to say that the exercise has a lot to do with territorial defense and the application by the AFP of its unilateral defense plan.

While this is a welcome development in terms of the AFP’s overall military preparedness and vigilance in the protection of our borders and maintenance of territorial integrity something must also be said about the recent debacles involving mis-encounters involving soldiers of the military and members of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The most recent alleged mis-encounter happened in Sta. Rita Samar when Army troopers mistakenly killed six policemen and wounded nine others who they thought were communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas operating in the said area.

The tragic incident highlights the necessity of establishing closer cooperation and coordination between the AFP and PNP with a joint exercise as one of the means in achieving this end.

In so far as domestic disturbances are concerned it is very clear that the PNP has the sole mandate in resolving such kind of local crises. The AFP meanwhile has the job of protecting the people and the nation from external aggression or enemies of the State from outside. However, with the Marawi siege still fresh in our minds there is an urgent need for the AFP and the PNP leadership to put their heads together in bringing about local joint exercises between their members to avoid any miscommunication or heaven forbid mis-encounters such as what happened in Samar.

Now the proposed joint exercises would undoubtedly be made public since this will involve massive troop movements and will perhaps even include other government sectors such as the disaster management offices in the local level. What is important is that may be for the first time, through these joint exercises, the members of the AFP and the PNP will become more aware of each other’s movement and thus avoid that dreaded miscommunication that is the bane of any disciplined agency.

If the AFP has established agreements for the conduct of joint exercises with other nations such as the Balikatan exercises then there is no reason it cannot enter into an agreement with the PNP to conduct local and regular joint exercises to increase their awareness and vigilance in the local level.

With the bombings that just happened in Basilan there is an overriding urgency for the AFP and the PNP to work closer in order to maintain and preserve the peace and order of our nation.