Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the military to ensure it can sustain combat operations on its own for at least 20 to 30 days in the event of an armed conflict.
Speaking during the opening of the ninth iteration of the AFP’s Joint Exercise Dagat-Langit-Lupa (AJEX DAGIT-PA) at Camp Aguinaldo, Brawner said the order aims to prepare the military to “fight and preserve its forces” before allied support arrives under existing defense treaties such as the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States.
“We have to rely on ourselves first. Tayo muna ang lalaban (We’ll have to fight on our own). We must be able to weather the initial attack and hold the line until reinforcements arrive,” Brawner said, without naming any specific country as a potential adversary.
The AFP chief confirmed that part of this year’s AJEX DAGIT-PA will include exercises near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), where tensions with China have intensified due to repeated aggressive actions, including dangerous maneuvers, ramming incidents, and the use of water cannons.
Brawner said the updated defense plan expands the country’s defensive posture beyond the mainland to its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and outermost islands, in a move aligned with the military’s Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
“We are now extending this to our EEZ and to the other features that we are occupying, specifically Pag-asa Island. That is the farthest island where Filipinos live, and we have to defend it,” he said.
Brawner added that this year’s joint drills will feature a “complete package” of maritime, air, and land components, though operational details remain classified.
