Former President Fidel Ramos on Friday said there was nothing new in President Rodrigo Duterte's plan to arm civilians, noting that it has been done in the past, as early as the term of former President Ramon Magsaysay.
"You know if you study the history of military... You will find out the different periods in our history... we always have armed civilian volunteers," Ramos told reporters during the launch of his new commemorative book.
Ramos cited the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU), the Civilian Home Defense Force (CHDF), and the Barangay Self-Defense Unit during the Magsaysay regime as examples on how the Philippine government previously armed civilians.
"It's not new. So, in this case let's just say that President Duterte is getting impatient. But he must credit the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for getting the bulk of the Abu Sayyaf in Bohol, including a possible a local civilian agent," he said.
"But it also means that the Armed Forces and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) must double on the alert because we're holding an important ASEAN series of meeting in Bohol," he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte has been raising the possibility of arming civilians amid threats from drug personalities and terrorism.
On Wednesday, Duterte said anew that he intends to arm civilians and that he would talk to the local officials regarding it. The Palace later clarified that Duterte might have been "dramatizing" when he opened the idea about arming civilians.
This came following the recent clash between the Armed Forces and the bandit group in Inabanga, Bohol earlier this month.
The encounter resulted in the deaths of three soldiers and a policeman, while six members of the ASG, including its sub-leader Muammar Askali alias "Abu Rami," were also killed.
Duterte, for his part, offered a P1-million reward for the arrest of ASG members who escaped.
SOURCE: msn
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