The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. The President of the Philippines is the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP and forms military policy with the Department of National Defense, an executive department acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out, while the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines serves as the overall commander and the highest-ranking officer in the AFP. The Philippine Coast Guard also serves as an attached service of the AFP in wartime. Military service is entirely voluntary.
The Philippine Army (PA) is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare and as of 2021 had an estimated strength of 101,000 soldiers backed by 100,000 ready reserves. The service branch was established on December 21, 1935, as the Philippine Commonwealth Army. The Philippine Army has engaged in many conflicts including the ongoing Communist rebellion in the Philippines, the Moro conflict and, alongside other national military forces, in conflicts of international scope.
Hermogenes Cendaña Esperon Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general serving as the National Security Adviser in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte. He was the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 2006 to 2008 and Commanding General of the Philippine Army from 2005 to 2006 under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. After his retirement from the military, he served in Arroyo's administration as the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and later as the head of the Presidential Management Staff.
The 1st Infantry Division, Philippine Army, nicknamed Tabak Division, is the Philippine Army's primary infantry unit, and specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare. The division has been involved in combating terrorists in Southern Mindanao.
Cardozo Manalo Luna is a retired three-star general and the 35th Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Cardozo Luna also served as the commander of two unified commands, Eastern Mindanao Command and Central Command. He served as the Philippine Ambassador to The Hague, Netherlands from 2009 until 2010 He is the current Undersecretary of Department of National Defense.
Alexander Badong Yano is a retired Philippine Army general who served as the 38th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the highest position in the AFP hierarchy. His Vice Chief of Staff was Lt. Gen. Cardozo M. Luna and his Deputy Chief of Staff was Lt. Gen. Rodrigo F. Maclang. Alexander Yano also served as the commander of the Philippine Army and Southern Luzon Command. He is also the first general born from Mindanao
The 10th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, also called the Agila Division, is one of the Philippine Army's infantry units in Mindanao.
The 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, known officially as the Storm Trooper Division, is one of the Philippine Army's Infantry units in the Visayas and under the AFP Central Command, combating local communist insurgent units, and terrorists.
The 15th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, known as the Defender & Builder Division, is one of the Army Reserve Command's ready reserve infantry divisions.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Command, known officially as the AFP RESCOM or RESCOM, is one of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Major Support Commands created for the sole purpose of Reserve Force management, procurement, and organization.
Ricardo A. David, Jr is a former Chief of staff of the Philippine Armed Forces. He was the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command chief. On June 30, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III picked David as his AFP chief. On July 2, 2010, Ricardo David assumes the command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from Lt Gen. Nestor Z Ochoa. He currently serves as the Undersecretary for Defense Policy of the Department of National Defense.
Delfin C. Castro was a major general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He was the commander of the AFP Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), from 1981 to 1986. Notable incidents during his tenure include the Pata Island massacre, the assassination of Zamboanga City Mayor Cesar Climaco, the rescue of kidnapped Bishop Federico O. Escaler from Muslim rebels and the strafing of the Japanese vessel Hegg by Philippine Air Force fighters off Mindanao.
Emmanuel Trinidad Bautista is a Filipino General who served as the 44th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as he succeeded Gen. Jessie Dellosa as AFP Chief. He served as the Executive Director of the Cabinet Cluster on Security, Justice, and Peace at the Office of the President, Malacañang. His appointment as Undersecretary at the Office of the President was from 1 September 2014 to 22 June 2020 shortly after retirement from the military service as Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines. Concurrently, he headed the National Task Force on the Whole of Nation Initiative and was also the executive Director of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea. He was succeeded by Gregorio Pio Catapang as AFP chief.
Natalio Cabili Ecarma III is a Filipino General who recently served as Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines. He is known for being the first Filipino appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, to serve as Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights, giving him the distinction of being the first Filipino to head a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission, with the rank of UN Assistant Secretary General.
Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana, OLH, KGOR is a retired Philippine Army general serving as the Secretary of National Defense in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte. He served in the Philippine Army from 1973 to 2004.
Glorioso Ventura Miranda is a retired Filipino soldier who is the former Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He served as acting Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from April 22 to June 30, 2016. Before becoming the 46th Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces last March 8, 2016, he was the Commanding General of the AFP Northern Luzon Command from August 13, 2015. He was also the former commander of the 7th Infantry Division. He is part of the Matikas Class of the Philippine Military Academy of 1983. Currently, he has been appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to the BCDA as a board member.
The siege of Lamitan took place on 2 June 2001 when members of the Islamic terrorist group Abu Sayyaf entered the city of Lamitan, one of two Christian settlements in the predominantly Muslim province of Basilan in the Philippines. They took over a church and a hospital and held priests, medical staff and patients hostage. Government forces surrounded the Muslim extremists, preventing their escape. However, the Abu Sayyaf group managed to break out of the cordon by using their hostages as human shields.
Conrado Dumlao Yap was a Philippine Army officer and a recipient the Philippines' highest military award for courage, the Medal of Valor. Yap was one of the 1,367 Filipino troops comprising the 10th Battalion Combat Team of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK), one of the five Philippine Army Battalion Combat Team's contingent of United Nations Command forces that fought in the Korean War (1950–1953).
General Cirilito Elola Sobejana is a retired Filipino General who served as the 55th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and a known recipient of the Philippines' highest military award for courage, the Medal of Valor. He served as commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command from June 28, 2019, to August 4, 2020 and Chief of the Army from August 4, 2020, to February 4, 2021. He served as the former commander of the 6th Infantry Division in 2018, and the Joint Task Force Sulu in 2017. He was chief of staff of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in 2013.
The 11th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, also called the Alakdan Division, is one of the Philippine Army's infantry units in Mindanao. Currently still forming, the Division is expected to complete its equipment and manpower requirements by 2022. It is the youngest of all the infantry divisions of the Army and will have 4,500 troops when fully formed.
