ARTICLE II DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES AND STATE POLICIES Section 3.

Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.

This section means that The AFP is responsi!le for upholding the sovereignty, supporting the Constitution, and defending the territory of the "epu!lic of the Philippines against all enemies foreign and domestic. They are the one #ho is in charged of Peace. Also performs such functions as the higher authorities may direct. They are also !een re$uired to provide assistance in the maintenance of la# and order and has conse$uently !een involved in developmental activities of the nation.

Introduction The Armed Forces of the Philippines %AFP& is the principal !ody of defense of the "epu!lic of the Philippines, led !y the Commander'in'Chief in the person of the President of the Philippines. It is composed of the Philippine Army %(u)!ong *atihan&, the Philippine +avy %(u)!ong ,agat&, and the Philippine Air Force %(u)!ong (impapa#id&. The Philippine Army-s main functions include training and organi.ing army forces to conduct com!at operations and e/ecute national defense plans. It is the country-s primary defense on land. The Philippine +avy is responsi!le for protecting all 0,123,333 s$uare )ilometers of the Philippines- #ater territory. It is composed of t#o ma4or commands, the Philippine Fleet and the Philippine 5arine Corps. 6astly, the Philippine Air Force #as originally tas)ed #ith providing the country #ith the !est air force defense possi!le. (o#ever, !eginning in the 0783s, Air Force measures have shifted more to#ards countering insurgencies. The roots of the AFP may !e traced !ac) to the 0879 Te4eros Convention. :n 5arch 11 0879, the revolutionary government then headed !y President ;milio Aguinaldo created the Philippine Army and appointed <eneral Artemio "icarte as its head. This army served as the "evolutionary Forces, #hich fought against the Spaniards from 33 August 087= until the signing of the Treaty of Paris. It #as the same army that tried to drive out the Americans from > Fe!ruary 0877 until <eneral Simeon :la surrendered on 12 Septem!er 0733. A ne# Philippine Army #as created under the American regime, through the +ational ,efense Act of 0732. :n 13 ,ecem!er 0723, the Philippine Army #as renamed the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It #as primarily comprised of three services? the Army, the +avy, and the Air Force. ,uring the 0783s, t#elve unified regional commands #ere esta!lished in response to the increase in the num!er of insurgent activities.