Editing Armed Forces of the Philippines (section)

===Contemporary history===
{{see also|History of the Philippines (1986–present)}}
{{update|section|date=June 2023}}

In 2000, on President [[Joseph Estrada]]'s orders, the AFP launched an [[2000 Philippine campaign against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front|all-out offensive]] against the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front]], a breakaway group of the MNLF that wants to proclaim Mindanao an independent state.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Hughes |editor-first1=Michelle |editor-last2=Miklaucic |editor-first2=Michael |title=Impunity: Countering Illicit Power in War and Transition |date=October 27, 2016 |publisher=Center for Complex Operations and the [[Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute]] |isbn=978-0-9861865-7-8 |page=175 |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1013660.pdf |access-date=26 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116101247/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1013660.pdf |archive-date=January 16, 2023}}</ref> The AFP [[Battle of Camp Abubakar|succeeded in capturing]] the MILF's main headquarters, [[Camp Abubakar]] on July 9.<ref>{{cite news |title=One victory, more needed |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2000/07/13/one-victory-more-needed |access-date=29 August 2024 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=July 13, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805165400/https://www.economist.com/asia/2000/07/13/one-victory-more-needed |archive-date=August 5, 2020}}</ref>

The AFP played a key role in the two-day [[Edsa Dos]] People Power revolt in 2001; the revolution removed Estrada from power and installed then vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] as president.<ref>{{cite news |title=People Power II: The downfall of a president |url=http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/year.in.review/story/overview/estrada.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826102858/http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/year.in.review/story/overview/estrada.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 26, 2024 |access-date=26 August 2024 |work=[[CNN]] |date=2001}}</ref>

Since 2001, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has been active in supporting the [[War on terror]] and has been attacking terrorist groups in Mindanao ever since. In 2012, the AFP Chief of Staff said that there had been no increase in the number of soldiers over a long period, and that the military aimed to hire 30,000 troops in three years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://anc.yahoo.com/news/afp-to-recruit-20-000-soldiers-over-3-years-051206793.html|title=AFP hopes to recruit 20,000 soldiers in 3 years|date=January 15, 2014|publisher=ANC News|access-date=February 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302013756/http://anc.yahoo.com/news/afp-to-recruit-20-000-soldiers-over-3-years-051206793.html|archive-date=March 2, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2013, the AFP successfully [[Zamboanga City crisis|quelled the Zamboanga City attacks]] of the [[Moro National Liberation Front]], which proclaimed the independence of the short-lived [[Bangsamoro Republik]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Medina |first1=Andrei |title=Timeline: Crisis in Zamboanga City |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/325855/timeline-crisis-in-zamboanga-city/story/ |access-date=26 August 2024 |work=[[GMA News Online]] |date=10 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929132701/https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/325855/timeline-crisis-in-zamboanga-city/story/ |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

After the signing of the [[Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro]] in 2014, the AFP has played a key part in the normalization process with the MILF, which includes "the decommissioning of MILF combatants and their weapons and the transformation of several camps into productive and resilient communities,"<ref>{{cite web |author=Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process |title=Full implementation of the MILF Normalization Process underway |url=https://peace.gov.ph/2019/03/full-implementation-of-the-milf-normalization-process-underway/ |access-date=August 30, 2021 |website=Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Website |date=March 7, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref> developing a close working relationship with the Philippine National Police and the MILF-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) in the [[Bangsamoro Peace Process|pursuit of peace]] in the [[Bangsamoro]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process |title=Bangsamoro Normalization gains momentum |url=https://peace.gov.ph/2019/06/bangsamoro-normalization-gains-momentum/ |access-date=August 30, 2021 |website=Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Website |date=June 25, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2016, the AFP clashed with the [[Maute group]] on [[Butig]] on [[February 2016 Butig clash|February]], late May to early June,<ref>{{cite news |title=Philippine troops seize militant camp |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/06/05/2003647937 |access-date=26 August 2024 |work=[[Taipei Times]] |date=5 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604170604/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/06/05/2003647937 |archive-date=4 June 2016}}</ref> and on [[November 2016 Butig clash|November]] of 2016.

Under President [[Rodrigo Duterte]] in May 2017, the AFP thwarted the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS militants']] attempt to establish a foothold in the Philippines in the [[Battle of Marawi|five-month-long siege]] to retake [[Marawi]] from militant occupation.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=McKirdy |first1=Euan |last2=Berlinger |first2=Joshua |date=October 17, 2017 |title=Philippines' Duterte declares liberation of Marawi from ISIS-affiliated militants |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/17/asia/duterte-marawi-liberation/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017075815/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/17/asia/duterte-marawi-liberation/index.html |archive-date=October 17, 2017}}</ref> The AFP called President Duterte to declare [[Proclamation No. 216|Martial Law]] under [[Proclamation No. 216]].{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} Additionally, the AFP and the [[NTF-ELCAC]] were at the forefront of Duterte's intensified campaign against the communist rebellion; by the of Duterte's term, the AFP reported the reduction of NPA [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla fronts]] from 89 to 23, and only 2,000 remained of more than 25,000 "members, supporters, and sympathizers of the underground movement".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nepomuceno |first=Priam |date=July 7, 2022 |title=Duterte admin made significant gains vs. NPA: AFP |language=en |work=[[Philippine News Agency]] |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1178431 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707084355/https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1178431 |archive-date=July 7, 2022}}</ref>

In 2024, the number of active communist rebels in the NPA reached a low of 1,500, with the AFP aiming to neutralize them by the end of the year. As a result of the development, the AFP under the [[Bongbong Marcos administration]] has been shifting its focus away from handling internal threats towards defending Philippine territory from external threats such as China's [[Territorial disputes in the South China Sea|encroachment]] in the [[West Philippine Sea]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Vitug|first=Marites|author-link=Marites Vitug|title=Hindi Ito Marites: Malapit na bang matalo ng AFP ang NPA?|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/podcasts-videos/hindi-ito-marites-afp-decisive-victory-over-npa-imminent/|access-date=February 20, 2024|work=[[Rappler]]|publisher=Rappler Inc.|date=February 16, 2024}}</ref>