LESSON HANDOUTS

By:

COLONEL PRUDENCIO RAMOS ASTO GSC (Ret) PhD.

FIRST BENGUET READY RESERVE BATALLION, COMMANDER

AFP Core Values

1. The AFP Core of Values

a. Honor

-it is the most important virtue that a soldier must possess

-it means clean consciousness, personal dignity, good reputation,
unquestionable character. It also means truthfulness, sincerity, honesty,
credibility and integrity, modest but decent life.

b. Loyalty

-it is promoting the national interest and security as a paramount

concern.
it is supporting and defending the constitution.

c. Valor

-can be defined as the power and strength, courage and ability to

overcome fear, which enables the soldiers to carry out their mission
and to accomplish what is seemingly impossible.
- it is courage, calmness and presence of mind in the heat of battle
where danger or death is imminent.

d. Duty

- performing our tasks as order or implied.

-it is a personal act of responsibility, which we show by doing all our
assigned tasks to the best of our ability.

e. Solidarity
 -it is the value that binds us with the rest of our comrades-in-arms and
makes us one strong and united organization.

2. Military Culture, Customs and Traditions and Core Philosophies

a. The AFP Organization

-The AFP should be organized in such manner that it can function

effectively to accomplish its mission with minimum cost and maximum result
-It must promote the active participation of the people in the
defense of the state and in civil assistance projects during disaster and
calamities and national emergencies.

b. Supremacy of Civilian Authority

-it emphasizes the legal and moral obligation of the soldier as an

ordinary citizen of the republic to obey the laws, carryout directives and subscribe
to regulations enacted and issued by the legislative judicial and executive
branches of the civil government.

c. Chain of Command

-It deals on the generally accepted principles that a military action

being executed should pass the approval or consent of the Commander at each
level or echelon of command from lowest to highest without bypassing any
approving authority or taking the action upon ones self as his prerogative.

d. Military Leadership

-It summarizes the significant role of a military leader or Commander

to influence his men to carry out its mission, perform assigned tasks or fulfill its
obligations and functions.

e. Peoples Support

-it is a statement of the acknowledgement by the AFP of the vital

importance of peoples support to achieve peace and order.

f. National Development
 The AFP must be a catalyst of change, reform and development. It
must actively participate in endeavors that will contribute to national progress.

g. Partisan Politics
The members of the AFP shall not engage in partisan politics. Its
involvement shall be limited only to the exercises of his right to vote the candidate
of his choices and to assist in ensuring a clean and honest election.
h. Democracy

-believing that the Philippine Government is the embodiment of the

Filipino peoples will and was established to protect their inherent rights and to
fulfill their aspirations as a nation.

i. National Interest

-The AFP shall keep in mind that national interests is of paramount

concern and must be enhanced and protected.

j. Peace

The AFP believes that program and development can only be

attained if there is stability, peace and order.

k. War

The AFP believes that war or the use of force against the enemy of
the state shall be resorted to only when all the peaceful means shall have failed
and no other option is left to resolve the conflict.

l. Use of Armed Force

-the AFP must act with restraint as far as use of force is concerned.
When the use of arms is necessary, it must have the authority of the duly
established government.

m. Social Justice

-shall subscribe to the generally accepted principle that all men are
created equal and every citizen must be given the same rights and opportunities
in life and equal protection from the government.

n. Human Rights
 - the AFP shall respect the inherent rights of an individual as a human
being.
-The AFP must see to it that the lives and properties on non-
combatants and innocent civilians are well protected.

o. Enemies of the State

The AFP shall consider the following as enemies of the state:

THOSE who:

1) -violate the sovereignty of the Philippines such as foreign

aggression whose intention is to occupy and control the national territory or part
thereof.
2) -resort to violence as a means to achieve their ends such as
CPP/NPA/Guerillas.

3) -shall not accept the supremacy of civilian authority over the

military, such as the coup plotters and participants.

4) -shall dismember the country or any part thereof, such as the

Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and other secessionist groups.

5) -shall engage in organized crimes, such as gambling

syndicates, drug pushers, gun runners, hired killers.

6) Those who shall organize the populace for the purpose of

alienating their allegiance from the state such as the national democratic front
and the sectorial organizations under its umbrella.

p. Professionalism

Military professionalism
-is the heart and soul of the whole AFP code of ethics.
-to perform our duties and responsibilities with utmost competence
and efficiency.
-perform its tasks as mandated by the constitution with the highest
degree of excellence by applying expertly the basic and specialized skills of
soldiery while adhering strictly with the code of ethics and all laws and statutes of
the land.

q. Standards
 1) Standard of Loyalty

-being loyal and true to the Republic of the Philippines, the

constitution, the AFP and to the people.
-serving the republics interest and protect its territorial integrity
against the enemy, even if it shall cost our lives.

2) Standard of Competence

-Being competent in the performance of his duties.

- the ability or capability to do what is expected him to do and
to do it well.

3) Standard of Ethics

-Every soldier must conform to the accepted principles of right

conduct, being observed in the society which he is a part, from being a soldier,
he is also a citizen of the community, because the military community is only a
part of a larger society the Filipino society

4) Standard of Morals

- to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.

-To be moral is to do the right things and to avoid the wrong ones.

r. Unprofessional Acts

1) Acts of Disloyalty
-when we do something or refuse to do something that
constitute betrayal of our country and people, non-support to our duly
constituted government and disregard to the AFP chain of Command

2) Acts of Incompetence
- when we lack the required knowledge, skills, physical
attributes and character traits necessary for the adequate performance of duty
and accomplishment of mission.

3) Unethical Acts
- are deviations from the established and accepted ethical
and moral standards of behavior and performance laid down in the AFP code of
ethics.

4) Corrupt Acts
 - are crimes against public interest, public morals, property,
chastity, civil status of person and honor.
-dishonesty, injustice and doing moral acts.