Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Saturday expressed his intention to revise the current reserve forces paradigm structure of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In a radio dzBB report, Teodoro said the AFP’s current design might not be able to withstand the looming threats against the country.

With the ongoing tension in the Philippines’ territorial waters, citizens might need to take up arms to protect the country from unknown incoming threats, Teodoro added.

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. welcomed Teodoro’s plan to revise the armed forces’ structure.

“Well, we welcome that revision because we see that the problems our country is facing now are really different from the problems we faced before,” said Brawner at the sidelines of the 44th National Reservist Week Culminating Activity in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Brawner explained that the country’s current challenges are more “global in nature” compared to what it faced before.

“What we want is to develop our total force, which means that the regular force and the reserve force are not separate and that we are one in the AFP,” said Brawner. Charles Dantes