AFP chief tells military information officers: Continue to tell the truth

From GMA News Online (Oct 1): AFP chief tells military information officers: Continue to tell the truth

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Eduardo Año called on military information officers to avoid disinformations and continue to "tell the truth."

"I strongly urge our public affairs practitioners to continue to tell the truth. Refuse to be dragged into the trend of disinformation and deliberate sowing of confusion," Año told military information officers during the 6th Public Affairs Office (PAO) Summit held last September 21 to 22.

"I hope that you are all able to appreciate the importance of Public Affairs and recognize its potential to solidify the AFP's present disposition as a highly trusted and widely supported government institution," Año added.

The AFP chief also asked information officers "not to feed the hatred, and instead exhaust efforts to present facts, value respect, and appreciate criticisms in the military's quest for an informed public and an elevated discourse."

The PAO Summit is an annual gathering of spokespersons and public affairs officers assigned to different military units, such as the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, and the AFP area commands.

AFP Public Affairs Office chief Edgar Arevalo said the summit featured subject-matter experts on social media, cybersecurity, military-media dynamics, and crisis communication among others.

They invited presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar "to guide both budding and veteran public affairs practitioners."

Abella discussed best practices in crisis management while Bolivar talked about updates on latest international issues concerning national defense and security.

Journalist Cynthia Balana discussed issues between the military and the media while Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera tackled the strategies on public information during his stint as Marawi operations spokesman.

Other speakers of the event include Major Gene Orense of the AFP Civil Relations Service and Lieutenant Colonel Roland Ong, a military reservist and Solutions Consultant of FireEye, Inc.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/627880/afp-chief-tells-military-information-officers-continue-to-tell-the-truth/story/