CITING the recent clash between soldiers and communist rebels that left six troopers wounded, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday condemned the use of anti-personnel mines by insurgents.
Teodoro voiced his sentiments about underhanded tactics by the insurgents during his visit to the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) of the Philippine Army at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.
“We do not employ unlawful tactics against the enemy, but they blatantly violate laws without regard for human life, for the Philippines, committing nothing but terrorism,” he said.
Teodoro also relayed President Marcos’ directives supporting SOCOM’s development plan, stressing the importance of adapting lessons from other combat areas amid the “rapidly shifting security environment.”
The Defense chief underscored the need to phase mission roles and align the command’s capabilities with the demands of national security.
“Our mission roles are expanding, but we are scaling back on areas that are not our core capabilities,” Teodoro said.
He gave assurance that SOCOM will continue to assist the government in humanitarian and disaster response operations, particularly in remote areas.
Teodoro reaffirmed SOCOM’s role in counterinsurgency and called on the troops to prepare for emerging threats, highlighting the pace of technological change in warfare.
