Philippine civil-military relations (CMR) have long tipped towards the military despite established constitutional and legislative frameworks ensuring civilian supremacy. The Philippines’ COVID-19 pandemic response, characterized by war metaphors, strong police and military presence, and the appointment of retired military generals in key posts, highlighted the need to revisit the country’s unique CMR dynamics. This chapter explores the military’s expanded role in the COVID-19 pandemic response and its implications for an already tenuous Philippine CMR. The military’s expanded role put it in a prominent position to further redefine and recalibrate its position with broader civil society. It breached the traditional institutional barriers between civilian and military organizations, especially at the local level, which proved valuable during the pandemic. However, the implementation of safeguards remains challenging. This chapter underscores the need to revisit and update existing policies on civilian oversight over the military, given the unique CMR context in the Philippines and the military’s shifting focus to external defence.