OF all the Cabinet secretaries of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, it is Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who struck me as the most unassuming, and the least aggressive. This is actually contrary to what many can expect from someone whose portfolio is the one overseeing the defense of our republic.

It is no secret that our military prowess is far from ideal. We are a marine country with a comparably inadequate naval firepower. Our naval boats are simply not enough to cover our vast territorial seas and our exclusive economic zones. Our air force is woefully saddled with aging aircraft, some of which just fall off from the sky killing or injuring their passengers, that it made one uniformed man I know quip that riding a military aircraft is akin to playing Russian roulette.

We are a country with a recent history of invasion, one through conventional armed means which we saw in Marawi when a foreign terrorist group aided local terrorists in their siege of the city for months. The other is through a more unconventional means, carried out in the form of territorial encroachment not only into our exclusive economic zones to which we have sovereign rights, but even into our sovereign territory, effectively undermining our fishing activities.

We also have an internal armed rebellion waged by elements of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) that continue to engage in protracted warfare with the military, even as they levy revolutionary taxes on companies operating within their ambit of influence.

Yet, the man assigned to oversee, as the president’s alter ego, all the state’s efforts to face these threats and challenges, is a portrait of what it takes to be cool and reassuring. Lorenzana took over the defense portfolio with all the problems that an ill-equipped military force can present, and came out cool and determined to push forward to modernize our military. Under his leadership, our country was able to acquire two multi-role guided missile frigates — the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) — which were commissioned in 2020 and 2021, respectively, six units of Embraer A-29B Super Tucano close air support aircraft, 16 units of S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters, air surveillance radars, drones, missile systems, and various force protection and weapons systems.

While these may not be enough for us to claim military superiority, these are modest achievements as we endeavor to upgrade our military hardware to face the challenges of defending our country both from internal and external threats. Since Lorenzana took over as defense secretary, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have conducted 6,958 naval surface patrols and 6,432 air patrols in the country’s territory and borders, including in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

To assert our sovereignty on the portion of the WPS which is within our national territory and our sovereign rights over those that form part of our exclusive economic zones, and to fortify our military defenses in these areas, the Department of National Defense (DND) constructed new structures on Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in Kalayaan Island Group, Palawan. This included a beaching ramp which was inaugurated in 2020, and an airstrip which is expected to be finished this month. This is in addition to the improvement in the structures in six other Philippine-occupied islands in Kota, Parola, Panata, Likas, Lawak and Panguan.

To face the challenge brought about by armed rebellion, the DND under Lorenzana adopted the whole-of-nation approach that combined military strategies and tactics with humanitarian responses to rooting out and addressing the causes of rebellion. A reintegration program was implemented by the government in which we saw the surrender of thousands of rebels and their supporters.

From June 2016 until the end of April this year, the AFP has successfully conducted military operations that led to the dismantling of 56 out of 68 guerrilla fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF. As of April 30, a total of 25,772 communist rebels and 2,290 violent extremists were either killed, arrested, or have surrendered to authorities.

One of the most notable achievements of the Duterte administration, which happened under Lorenzana’s leadership of the DND, is the successful termination of the Marawi siege. Significant inroads were also made in the battle with Islamic militants. As of today, 1,544 members of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), 971 members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and 1,427 members of Dawlah Islamiyah were already neutralized by the AFP. The incidences of kidnappings by ASG have also been significantly reduced from 21 in 2016 to practically none as of today.

The establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is instrumental in the normalization of the security situation in the affected areas. About 19,200 combatants and 2,100 weapons were decommissioned by the government. As of April 30, a total of 9,326 former rebels were provided with financial assistance; 30,009 who surrendered, and their dependents, underwent skills training; and 978 others received housing assistance through the Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program.

One of government moves in line with national defense that met with criticism was the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act which later was deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court. In addition, the practice of red-tagging was also questioned. Lorenzana, who asserts that the label came from the critics themselves, is nevertheless cognizant of the fact that in order to root out rebellion, we have to go beyond labeling. He supports the strategy envisioned by the incoming national security adviser, Prof. Clarita Carlos.

There were times when Lorenzana appeared to have contradicted the statements of the President on issues of national defense and security. But Lorenzana personally told me that in all those instances, he had to first confer with the President and sought his permission before issuing any contradictory statement. This reveals not only the President’s humility and readiness to be corrected, but also Lorenzana’s professionalism and sense of ethics.