In these precarious times when the nation is faced with multifaceted problems in the areas of the economy and national security, the President and Commander-in-Chief who is also the chief architect of Philippine foreign policy chose to elucidate key policies of his administration at the graduation ceremonies of the “Bagong Sinag” Class of 2024 of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City.
Mincing no words, the Commander-in-Chief told the new inductees to the Armed Forces of the Philippines that the nation is currently facing various internal and external threats, and therefore the present and future torchbearers of freedom are being called today to do their duty.
Marcos exhorted the military to remain resolute amid various threats blocking the administration’s shift to a secure, safe and progressive “Bagong Pilipinas.”
“Bagong Pilipinas is now being slowly born. This a time of birth pains— sadly, of opportunism, blatant attempts of destabilization, and last-ditch to cling to the rapidly disappearing past,” President Marcos told the 278-strong graduating “Bagong Sinag” cadets.
“But we must be resolute. We must hold on. We cannot turn back,” the chief executive added.
It is well for the President to also highlight the achievements of his administration over the past two years as far as peace building is concerned, saying the Filipino people can now “see and feel.”
“The southern front has been relatively quiet. Development has replaced the blast of bombs and cannon, and booms,” the President said in referring to Southern Philippines.
“What we are facing now are a blatant disregard for internationally accepted principles and deployment of weapons of mass distraction by parties who seek to drive a wedge between a united citizenry. But people are not fooled. They can see through such schemes,” he added.
President Marcos also reminded the cadets that the attempts to divert people’s attention and dissipate the energy are better spent in making the country better and face the urgent tasks ahead.
One of the tasks, Marcos said, is to keep the Filipino people safe in their homes, the Philippine territory secured, the defenses against threats strengthened, and maintaining a stable and strong democracy.
“You are now inductees in the national effort to attain the following: Against parties whose fossilized ideas have been rejected by a people tired of war, no quarter will be given, but we offer peace, of the principled kind that will uproot the causes of social discontent.,” President Marcos said.
“Against intruders who have been disrespecting our territorial integrity, we will vigorously defend what is ours, but our conduct always guided by law and by our responsibility as a rules-abiding member of the community of nations. Against evolving threats that harm our people and corrode social and political trust, we will be adept, we will be flexible, and we will be ready in repelling such things,” he added.
Marcos also directed the new PMA graduates to assert Philippine rights over its territory and protect any part of it from being taken by any foreign intruders. He referred to them as the “inductees” in the national effort to address various issues, among them the efforts against “groups whose fossilized ideas have been rejected by people tired of war, and against invaders.”
“These are intruders who have been disrespecting our territorial integrity. We will vigorously defend what is ours. But our conduct must always be guided by law and [by] our responsibility as a rules-abiding member of the community of nations,” President Marcos said.
He said the country should be defended “against evolving threats that harm our people and corrode social and political trust.” “We will be adept, we will be flexible, and we will be ready in repelling such things.”
The Commander-in-Chief has made his national security policies crystal-clear, and the Armed Forces including the new graduates of the PMA are duly informed at the graduation rites, making compliance an expected result.
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