Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana opposes the proposal to form the Marines into a new branch of service in the military. 7304) proposes to establish the PMC, currently under the Navy’s command, as an independent branch of service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. ADVERTISEMENTThe PMC would be “amphibious in character” and would be composed of ground combat, combat support, combat service support, aviation component and other necessary units. “That would make Marines basically a ground force. The Philippine Army is currently the main ground force of the AFP at 85,000-strong.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 20, 2018 05:32 UTC