New AFP chief to troops: Stay focused despite political issues

MANILA, Philippines - Newly installed Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang on Tuesday called on soldiers to remain focused on their mission despite the political controversies hounding the country.

During his first tour of military headquarters as Chief of Staff, Catapang said soldiers should “not be distracted by the ongoing political dynamics in the country."

“We should be reminded that as member of the AFP we should be professional and non-partisan,” he said. “Trabaho lang tayo (let us just work).”

Catapang made the statement amid the controversies surrounding the Aquino administration’s disbursement acceleration program (DAP), which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

The high court struck down the withdrawal of so-called unobligated allotments from implementing agencies and their use as savings before the end of a fiscal year, the cross-border transfers of savings of the executive to augment funds of agencies outside the department and the funding of projects and programs not covered in the national budget.

DAP releases came from the overall savings of the national government, which included unprogrammed funds generated from windfall revenue collections, unreleased appropriations from slow-moving projects, terminated programs based on program evaluation of zero-based budgeting and the withdrawal of unused allotments already released to agencies.

Last October, the Defense Department admitted that it received DAP funds worth P665.6 million in 2011 and 2012. The fund was used to buy military equipment and spare parts, support on-base housing and repair facilities.

Catapang visited the Northern Luzon Command in Tarlac and the 1st Air Division Headquarters in Clark to relay his instructions to the troops.

Catapang also ordered the soldiers "maintain discipline and core competence in the highest standards.”

"We have to project ourselves as modern armed forces. We will conduct our operations without collateral damage. There should be no human rights violations," he said.

Catapang is expected to visit other military units on Thursday.