As the country marks the fifth anniversary of the Marawi City liberation on Monday, the Philippine Army stressed the important role of the youth in peacebuilding and countering violent extremism.
According to Philippine Army commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., officer cadets — acting as youth leaders in today’s generation — have an exceptional position in creating change in their communities, especially in peacebuilding and preventing violent extremism.
Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad, on the other hand, earlier said that Brawner emphasized importance of camaraderie and togetherness to establish unity and function effectively as a unit.
“Also, establishing partners will lessen the chances of conflict and will help in achieving shared goals among different organizations,” said Trinidad.
Meantime, the PA commander highlighted the utmost importance of remembering the heroism of the soldiers, law enforcers, and civilians who paid the ultimate sacrifice in liberating Marawi City even as he encouraged the cadets to passionately serve the people and the country.
Officer cadets also joined the exhibition tour in Fort Bonifacio which showcased the different PA units’ tactics and strategies that contributed to liberating Marawi city from the ISIS-inspired Maute terrorist group.
Brawner’s statements come as he welcomed the cadets of the National Capital Region — Reserve Officers Training Corps, Philippine Military Academy, Philippine National Police Academy, Officer Candidate School of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Navy during pre-anniversary rites held at the PA Officers Club House in Fort Bonifacio.