Reserve force urgently needed today

President Duterte reiterated the pressing concern of our national security in his speech at the Palarong Pambansa in Antique. With the present threat from the Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Maute, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front, Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army and other terrorist groups, we are in immediate need of a reserve force to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to ensure security for our country and people.

In my two letters (“ROTC cheapest source of reserve force,” 8/25/16 and “Du30’s pivot to ROTC,” 3/9/17), I cited the benefits of the ROTC programs.

I was J10, the deputy chief of staff for reservists and retirees affairs in 1992. Aside from enhancing the ROTC program, we also tried to organize “affiliated reserves” from the big corporations in the country—e.g., Meralco, PLDT, Globe, Smart, call centers—into organized reserve units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that we could mobilize to assist the AFP during national emergencies. Today we have no reserve components to protect the Philippines from internal and external threats.

JOEL R. HINLO,
retired brigadier general, AFP,
[email protected]