Civil Affairs for a SAF Operative
As law enforcers, our priority is to protect life and property. We exhaust all means to maintain peace and harmony in our country. Being a police non-commissioned officer assigned in Police Community Relations, the Civil Affairs Course expanded my skills set and widened my horizon to new ideas in countering enemy threats and building rapport with the people. It helped me gain a new perspective on how to improve as an enforcer of the law in suppressing acts of violence. Civil Affairs also imparted strategies on gaining the support of the people in fighting crime and maintaining peace and order.
Through this course, it became apparent to me that the use of force and the neutralization of the bad elements of our society is not enough for us to say that our mission has been accomplished.
Community and key leader engagements are useful tools to connect with the community as these allow us to influence the people to shun criminal activities. In Civil Affairs, we strengthen the partnership between the community and the government forces to weaken the enemy's influence.
During the Marawi Crisis, I was there and saw how the people’s lack of trust in the government resulted to war. Prior to the crisis, there existed a myriad of issues that somehow contributed to the destruction of Marawi. Killings attributed to clan wars or “rido” were rampant, aggravated by illegal drug activities, extortion, and kidnap for ransom. The residents of Marawi remained silent on the lurking terrorism because they thought that the government forces cannot protect them if they report the would be perpetrators.
It is a big challenge to gain the people's trust in the midst of crisis and issues affecting our government. I know that there is no universal solution that will address all situations but nothing will happen if we do not take action. As a Civil Affairs graduate, the first thing that we must do is to coordinate with the communities and win their trust and support. In order to do so, we need to understand their beliefs, culture and tradition. This will help us assess their needs and come up with the appropriate solutions.
As I go back to my area of assignment, I know that there are challenges waiting for me but the knowledge and skills I gained from the Civil Affairs Course of the Army Civil-Military Operations School will grant me the confidence I need to face any battle with the aid of the Almighty God.
