The Philippine army is not looking good. Having botched up attempts to free hostages from Abu Sayyaf, and lost a few soldiers in the process, it is now said to be demanding 'special powers' to fight terrorists. President Gloria Arroyo has said the government is considering imposing martial law in the southern islands, but the dismal performance of the army so far raises questions about how martial law could make a significant difference.

The army's debacle at the hands of the Abu Sayyaf has prompted calls for a revamp of the armed forces. Senior officials are now complaining about the lack of resources, shortage of modern weapons and a need for better training of manpower. A resource-crunch, they say, has deprived the armed forces of the upgrading they require to fight as an efficient force. This may be so, but the fact is that this issue has come up only after their inability to tackle a rag-tag group of terrorists. The army and the police are obviously more effective in playing a political role than they are in their actual job.

It was because of the crucial support of the military that Arroyo was successful in ousting Joseph Estrada and replacing him as the country's leader. The last minute turnaround of the military was the final push that sent Estrada tumbling out of power. The image of the military as a powerful force in the country's affairs was reinforced after the "people's power 2" upheaval. Unfortunately this image is now receiving deadly blows because the military cannot seem to do the job it is paid for.

Urgent steps are required to revamp and reform the institution so that it can redeem itself in the battlefield and help Manila sort out the Abu Sayyaf menace once and for all. Martial law on its own is clearly not the answer.