00:00President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has once again pledged to protect our rights in the West Philippine Sea.
00:08But aside from that, the President has also urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines
00:12to take care of the democracy of the country in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.
00:19Kenneth Paciente is in the center of the news.
00:23A few months before the midterm elections, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. gave a directive to the Armed Forces of the Philippines
00:32to ensure that the electoral process in May will be smooth.
00:36The President insisted that the election should be smooth and peaceful.
00:42He emphasized that the Filipinos should not be swayed by a credible election,
00:47especially when it concerns democracy in the country.
00:50Once again, we find ourselves at the critical juncture where we have to preserve
00:56not only the integrity of our election, but the very ethos of our democracy.
01:03As a nation that deeply values and honors our right to vote,
01:07we are counting on the Armed Forces to ensure a peaceful, credible, and orderly conduct
01:13of the electoral process that Filipinos expect from us.
01:16We cannot fail them.
01:18The President said that in his visit to the oath-taking ceremony of the new promoted generals and officials of the AFP,
01:25where he reiterated the important role of the AFP in ensuring the integrity of the territory of the Philippines.
01:32The President encouraged the officials of the institution to continue to emphasize the core value of the Armed Forces
01:38in performing their duties, especially its role in protecting the territory of the Philippines
01:45and the security of every Filipino.
01:47Each of you here have your fair share of challenges in protecting the Filipino people and in protecting our nation.
01:54But you have risen above those challenges.
01:57You persevered in improving our country's security.
02:00You have pursued reforms to better your organization.
02:04And you have taken steps to enhance your capabilities.
02:08I am certain that you can never go astray,
02:11so long as you are guided by the time-honored principle of serving with honor and with integrity.
02:17The AFP's Commander-in-Chief also praised the graduates of the Foreign Pre-Commission Training Institutions, or FPCTI,
02:26which the President encouraged to use their knowledge abroad to further strengthen the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
02:33The training, the discipline, the strategies that you acquired abroad will certainly boost our forces' capabilities,
02:40especially amidst the increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.
02:45Our nation relies on you to bring fresh perspectives that will strengthen our defense systems and enhance military cooperation across borders.
02:55The AFP's 35 newly-promoted generals and flag officers and the graduates of the FPCTI also praised the President.
03:02The praise is part of his commitment to the duty and responsibility of being an officer in the Armed Forces.
03:09It shows the readiness of the GFOs and new officers to lead the AFP to guide and defend the nation against any threat.
03:18Kenneth Paciente, for Pambansang TV, in Bago.
03:24Philippines.
