International and Defence

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is responsible for the defence of the Philippines. In more recent years, there have been a number of unsuccessful coups against the government by rebel members of the AFP. The US had a number of military bases in the Philippines but these have been closed down in the post-Marcos years. The Philippines has diplomatic relations with most countries in the world and has membership in a number international and regional organisations, such as the United Nations (UN) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines is currently in dispute over Sabah with Malaysia and the Spratly Islands with a number of Asian nations in the region.

Military and Defence

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is the primary entity for national defence. The AFP is divided into the Army, Navy and Air Force. The AFP began with the revolutionary forces of General Emilio Aguinaldo in the war against Spain and later, the US. Under American rule, Philippine defence was organised through Commonwealth Act No. 1 (the National Defence Act) on December 21, 1935. The AFP was put through one of its greatest challenges when Japan began invading in World War II. Many soldiers surrendered with the fall of Bataan. Some of those who did not surrender or were not captured, continued fighting in the form of guerrilla resistance units. In 1950, the Philippine Constabulary (previously under the Department of the Interior) was placed under the jurisdiction of the AFP until the 1980s. Currently, the two greatest threats to national security are the communist and Muslim insurgencies. During the time of President Marcos, military became a part of politics which ultimately corrupted the AFP. In 1986, the military made a move against Marcos which was supported by the civilian population leading to the 1986 EDSA or People Power revolution. Since 1986, there have been a number of failed military coups against the government. The bloodiest occurred during the earlier years of President Aquino's term. After independence, a number of US military bases (Subic Bay, Clarke Air Base) remained in the Philippines but these were gradually closed in the post-Marcos years.

International Relations

Generally, the Philippines is on good diplomatic terms with most countries in the world. It also has membership in a number of international organisations which include the United Nations (UN), the UN Security Council (elected/temporary), International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, Interpol, World Trade Organization (WTO), World Health Organization (WHO) and many more. On a more local basis, the Philippines has membership of the Asian Development Bank, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and is one of the original five founding members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines is also a member of the Latin Union, the Group of 77 (G-77) which is a coalition of developing nations (i.e. the "Third World") and the Group of 24 (G-24), a chapter of 24 nations from the G-77.

Disputes

The Philippines is currently involved in two disputes. The greater dispute is that of Sabah, Malaysia. In 1878, the Sultan of Sulu leased out Sabah which eventually became part of Malaysia. Both Malaysia and the Philippines claim sovereignty over Sabah. However, the Malaysian government annually pays 5,000 Malaysian Ringgit in "rent" to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu. The Philippine government restored the position of Sultan of Sulu (which was abolished during the American regime) to strengthen their claim. The second dispute is over the Spratly Islands. Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have all made some sort of claim to the islands. Currently, the dispute over the islands remains unresolved. However, a partial agreement was made in 2002 which has helped to ease the tension in the region.

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