Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro yesterday said that about 6,000 more soldiers will soon be mobilized by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the fight against New People’s Army rebels, Moro Islamic Liberation Front renegades and Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Teodoro said the AFP needs more troops to hold areas already cleared of New People’s Army rebels and Abu Sayyaf bandits, and to contain the MILF renegades.

He also said Congress has already approved the creation of three more Infantry Battalions, composed of about 1,500 men, and an additional 1,500 to fill up the manpower of existing infantry units, this year.

The 6,000 newly-recruited military personnel form part of the 12,000 men they have requested to beef up the AFP, during the time of Gen. Hermogenes Esperon as AFP chief, military records show.

Teodoro also said that a total reliance on peace talks will not address the armed conflict, and stressed the need for a deterrent factor to preserve the gains achieved by the government on cleared areas, by leaving behind troops to assist in the developmental efforts.

The AFP has been instructed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to make the NPA an “irrelevant force” by 2010, and “merely a police problem”.

Teodoro admitted that the neutralization of Abu Sayyaf bandits may takes time because of lack of troops to clear the areas. “We also need to further strengthen the local government institutions and disarm private armed groups, he added.

He said the AFP modernization program is now giving emphasis to have more manpower, rather than the updated military hardware. “We need to allocate budget for manpower and maintenance operating expenditures for the existing equipment,” he added.*GPB

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