Report of meetings : February 2, 1956
Report of meetings : February 2, 1956
- page 4-5
The Rotary Balita no. 790 (February 9, 1956)
Lt. Gen. Jesus Vargas, chief of staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, addressing Manila Rolarians on internal security on Feb. 2. Others in the photo are Club President Conrado Benitez and a representative from Clark Field. The Philippines cannot take the middle road in the conflict between democracy and communism. Thus declared Lt. Gen. Jesus Vargas, AFP chief of staff, in his address before the Manila Rotary Club on February 2, eve of liberation. We have therefore elected to join the side of the democracies because we recognize that there is no safety in standing alone," Vargas emphasized. He stressed that history cannot provide the necessary assurance nor confidence in the country's security from external aggression. Vargas warned that the Philippines will remain to be a desirable piece of territory in the eyes of more powerful neighbors and certain overpopulated countries of Asia, because they will find in her a good outlet for their excess people. The country is of major strategic importance by reason of her geographical location, he said. Gen. Vargas revealed the steps taken to protect the country's territorial integrity, which he said are: 1. Entry into bilateral and multilateral collective defense arrangements with other free nations and within the framework of the United Nations Charter. 2. Adoption of a program of defense consistent with the national economy to include the buildup of a strong citizen army of professional soldiers as the core and the waging of a continuous fight against communist-led Huks who have shifted from the armed struggle to the legal struggle.
The Rotary Balita no. 790 (February 9, 1956)
Lt. Gen. Jesus Vargas, chief of staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, addressing Manila Rolarians on internal security on Feb. 2. Others in the photo are Club President Conrado Benitez and a representative from Clark Field. The Philippines cannot take the middle road in the conflict between democracy and communism. Thus declared Lt. Gen. Jesus Vargas, AFP chief of staff, in his address before the Manila Rotary Club on February 2, eve of liberation. We have therefore elected to join the side of the democracies because we recognize that there is no safety in standing alone," Vargas emphasized. He stressed that history cannot provide the necessary assurance nor confidence in the country's security from external aggression. Vargas warned that the Philippines will remain to be a desirable piece of territory in the eyes of more powerful neighbors and certain overpopulated countries of Asia, because they will find in her a good outlet for their excess people. The country is of major strategic importance by reason of her geographical location, he said. Gen. Vargas revealed the steps taken to protect the country's territorial integrity, which he said are: 1. Entry into bilateral and multilateral collective defense arrangements with other free nations and within the framework of the United Nations Charter. 2. Adoption of a program of defense consistent with the national economy to include the buildup of a strong citizen army of professional soldiers as the core and the waging of a continuous fight against communist-led Huks who have shifted from the armed struggle to the legal struggle.