History of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

PRESENTED BY:EUGENE JAVILLONAR & DANA

BUNAG

I. Pre-Colonial Period

Barangays

Settlements during the 16th century before Spaniards arrived

Each Barangay had their own armed forces• Not a national armed

forces• Naturally organized

Fighting considered very important• Honourable Profession

II. Spanish Colonial Period

Arrival of the Spanish Forces tested the early “armed forces”

300 Years of Spanish

Occupation:- Spain’s Governors in the Island were

Professional Soldiers

Spanish Military personal were so

few;They relied on

Native Levies to maintain order

1830’s of the Spanish PeriodSoldiers gained influence

• Fears that other powers might seize the colony

• Declining power of the Monarchy and the Church

• Military governments were established in different provinces in the Luzon and the Visayas

• 70%-75% of revenue consumed by the Army and Navy

• Colonial Officials were active-duty army officers

Administered major islands in the Philippines.

NavyFunctioned as civilian construction unit and medical corps assisted in civil health.

ArmySole military force to maintain law and order in the country side.Gained political power.Included few Filipinos.Consulted by the central Gov’t on key national issues.

Guardia Civil

Spanish Forces

Revolts and Uprisings During Spanish Colonial Period

• Led by former political chieftains and religious heads

• Oppositions to economic and religious institutions

• Land Problems

Types (Agoncill

o)• *in Mindanao, Sulu and Mountain

Provinces• Never conquered nor colonized by the

Spaniards• Because:

• Islamic Ideology• Sultanate Structure

Muslims Filipinos

Philippine Revolution Phase 1: Katipunan• Originally formed as a

secret society, a revolutionary under ground organization organized by BONIFACIO

Transformed into a Military Organization• Civilians who didn’t have

training• No central HQ, although

there were war plans and provisions

• Officers and men were volunteers

Drawbacks

• Few of the leaders had tactical and strategic expertise

• Military organization was loose• No adequate sources of arms and ammunition

• Artillery was crude absence of general HQ let to difficulty in command

• Factionalism

Tejeros Convention• Magdalo and Magdiwang

factions• AFP dates the

establishment of the Philippine Army

• Aguinaldo assumed leadership

Biak na Bato Republic• Reorganized forces• Sandatahans (bolo

Battalions)• Guerrilla tactics• Army became known as

the Army of Liberation

Truce of Biak na Bato• Aguinaldo and men left

for HK• P800,000 to be paid to

the revolutionists in 3 instalments

• P1,700,000 for those who stayed behind to the victims

• *FAILED

April 1898

May 1, 1898

May 19, 1898

June 12, 1898

June 23, 1898

• Spanish American war

• Battle of Manila

• Return of Aguinaldo to the Philippines

• Declaration of Independence from Spain

• Revolutionary Gov’t established with a Dept. of War and Public Works

Philippine Revolution Phase 2

Organizing and Modernizing• July 30

• Decree issued for setting down organizational rules for the army

• First law organizing the army to determine:

• Organiztion• Composition• Basic Regulations

ARMY

• Biak na Bato had a provision for the creation of the Navy to protect coasts

• June 23 Decree created Bureau of Navy under the Sec. of Foreign Affairs

• Navy was eventually placed under the War Dept.

NAVY

• Oct. 25, 1988, Aguinaldo established this in Malolos Bulacan

• Mission: for technical training of all officers in the active service

• Deactivated in Jan. 20 1899 due to Phil-Am War

• Reincarnated as the PMA

Academia Militar

Dec. 10,

1898

• Treaty of Paris• Philippines was

transferred under the Americans

Dec. 21,

1898

• Pres. McKinley officially proclaimed the Philippines under American Control

• Establishing a military government under Gen Otis• Benevolent Assimilation

Feb. 4, 1899

• Outbreak of Phil-Am War• San Juan Bridge Incident

• Conventional Phase (Feb-Nov)• Guerrilla (Nov 1899 -…)

March 23,

1901

• Aguinaldo captured• End of war depending on

among historians and provinces

III. Philippine-American War/American Period

American Colonial Period• Initial years were headed

by a military gov’t• Even with civilian gov’t,

military institutions and personnel remained important in the colony

• Lt. Matthey Batson proposed the recruitment of the Filipinos to assist the US Army

Philippine

Scouts

• First Filipino Military Contingent created by the Americans (not a military unit)

• Feb 1901: PS formally became a unit of the US Army• To be paid as soldiers below that of US

servicemen

Philippine

Constabula

ry

• Insular Police force created to enforce laws such as the Brigandage Act, Sedition Act, and Flag Law

Philippine National

Guard

• First official Filipino force during the American period that was formally organized by Filipinos

• Patterned after the US National Guard• Creation was Temporary

Tension Between PC and PS- PC proved to be

inadequate to cope, so PS assisted

- Overlapping tasks sometimes but they report to different authorities- PS: US War Dept.- PC: Civil

Government

Campaign For Independence

Justification of US occupation• Philippine might become vulnerable to Japan

Philippine Independence Mission• All failed except OsRox Mission

• Hare-Hawes Cutting Bill• Tydings-McDuffie Bill giving rise to the

Commonwealth Gov’t (Quezon’s Bill)

IV. Commonwealth Period

New Developments

• Strengthening Military at the expense of the civilian sector

• Perceived threat from Japan• Peasant rebellions and unrest• Quezon’s authoritarian style of leadership• Assumed all command of armed forces

Philippine Constitution of

1935

• Declared all citizens liable for personal military or civil service in defence of the state

National Defence Act of

1935

• Drafted with the help of Gen. Douglas McArthur

Philippine Army established in January 1936

Small Regular Force, PC as nucleus, with a reserved force to be trained

Created 10,000-man Philippine Army

Mandated a defense build-up

Impact on the military role in polity

V. The “New Republic” 1945-1950/ 1946 Presidential elections

Osmena vs. Roxas

Roxas• As the first president of the post war republic

Armed forces• Supported Roxas• Roxas was favoured candidate of the US Army

The Armed Forces & the Secretary of National Defense

• The Armed Forces as the more powerful and influential Phil. Institution than the Sec. of National Defense

1945-1950

Commonwealth

Insubordinate

Sec. Kangleon

VI. The Magsaysay Era

Sep. 1 1950• Assumed post

as Sec. of National Defense

1953• Magsaysay

resigned• Won as

President against Quirino

1950-1957

Role Expansion of the Armed Forces

VII. 1957-1965: The Return to the Barracks

Decline

Post-Magsaysay; decline in military influenceMilitary excluded from the inner counsels

Indicators

Decline in military personnel strengthCivic action role was trimmedForce was focused towards the Huk formationsLeadership Reshuffled

FactorsGarcia – political representatives of the land-based oligarchyGroups saw the AFP as a dangerAFP close to the USGarcia and Macapagal were never soldiers Diminished insurgent threatEthnic

VIII. The Road to Martial Law

The Marcos Presidency 1966-1972

After Marcos was inaugurated, the AFP

played a salient role in state and society

Indicators• AFP as Partisan Politics• Major growth in size• Dramatic expansion of military civic

programs

Factors• Marcos: Decorated soldier• Resurgence of communist insurgence

threats• Strong leadership of Marcos

IX. Martial Law Period

New Societ

y

Plaza BombingDefense Sec. Enrile attack

Final Push that made

Marcos Declare

Martial Law

Martial

Law

AFP as the guarantorConsulted with 12

officersExpanded Role of AFP

Decline and Fall

Several Factors:- Decline of

Economy- CPP-NPA and

MNLF regained strength

- Influence of the church

- RAM

X. Back to Democracy: Aquino Administration

AFP as a stumbling

Block

• RAM – not pro democracy

• Civil Military Frictions

• Coup Attempts• AFP enraged

Re-establishin

g Democratic political Institution• Diverse

Ideologies

Became hard to venture in economic reforms because

of the different intersts

XI. Post Democratization: Ramos-Arroyo Administration

Ramos• Ramos: former chief of staff• Secured AFP’s loyalty• In his Gov’t many top military

brass

Estrada• Constant rumours of

corruption• Senate Impeachment Trial

• EDSA clone• Resignation• AFP withdrew support

Arroyo• Accused of corruption and

Electoral Fraud• Coup Attempts

• Oakwood Mutiny• 2006 Lim and Querubin