Amid rampant red-tagging as well as accusations of human rights violations against his organization, new Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana vowed that the military will respect human rights and follow the rule of law.

“Your soldiers…will do their job following the rule of law, give due respect to human rights, and strictly adhere to the provisions of the international humanitarian law,” Sobejana said during his assumption speech on Thursday, February 4, at Camp Aguinaldo.

Sobejana is the 9th military chief of President Rodrigo Duterte. Before assuming the top post, he led the Philippine Army.

Sobejana’s promise comes as the AFP endures flak from the public for red-tagging activists, and recently, students and alumni of the University of the Philippines.

The recent publication of an erroneous red-tagging list led to the firing of the military intelligence chief Major General Alex Luna, and the leave of absence of civil-military operations chief Major General Benedict Arevalo.

The new military chief implored Filipinos to support the AFP, which is one of the weakest military forces in Asia.

Sobejana, a veteran soldier in dismantling terrorists in Mindanao, did not name the threats that he sought to stop. He only called for support against “enemies of the state and other threats.”

Sobejana rises to the top as the Duterte government directs its attention and resources to ending the communist insurgency, amid fears of terrorist attacks in the south and China’s downplayed expansionism in the West Philippine Sea.

“Our solidarity as a nation is indeed challenged. As Filipinos, we should bring out the best in us and demonstrate our resiliency,” Sobejana said.

Sobejana will serve as the chief of the AFP for only 5 months, as he will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on July 31, 2021. – Rappler.com