MANILA, July 24 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that he will beef up the country's military and police force to meet "the future threats coming our way from within and outside the country."
He also bared the Philippines' plan to buy at least two spy planes and "lots" of high-altidute drones that the security forces can use against the extremists and other insurgents.
"I will build a credible armed force that can fight at all fronts everywhere. I really do not know how many (enemies) will sprout up, but we have the ISIS and the NPAs," Duterte told a news conference after delivering his second State of the Nation Address before a joint congress, referring to the IS militants and the New People's Army rebels.
He said the Philippine government needs to recruit up to 40,000 new soldiers to "replace and to strengthen" the military force.
He stressed the need to beef up the forces because of the deaths of more than 100 soldiers in the ongoing war in Marawi City and attacks launched by rebels.
"I will prepare more armed forces on war footing. There's war, that's why," Duterte said.
Duterte said there is a need to re-train the armed forces and the police in urban warfare, especially in military tactics using new military equipment.
"(The military and police) are back to the drawing board. There is a need for the soldiers and police to reconfigure," Duterte said, vowing to destroy the rebel forces.
The military is fighting the extremists linked with IS fighters still holed up in the southern Marawi City. Duterte said the IS militants are still holding 300 hostages in Marawi, delaying efforts to retake the rest of the city.
"That's why we cannot launch an assault, and if possible we'll just wait it out. I do not want these innocents to be slaughtered," Duterte said.
