links: http://www.afp.mil.ph/index.php/8-afp-news/479-fight-to-liberate-marawi-reaches-milestones
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año visits the Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors,
Marines, and Policemen fighting the terrorists at the Main Battle Area
Friday, 06 October 2017. (Photo by COL AREVALO)
On the 137th day of the
crisis in Marawi, at around 11:40 AM, the helicopters with the AFP
Chief, his Joint and Personal Staff, and the newly-installed Commanding
General of the Philippine Army MGen Rolando Joselito Bautista and his
staff, and BGen Roseller Murillo on board landed at the Headquarters 103rd Brigade in Camp Ranao.
The party of the AFP Chief immediately
boarded the awaiting convoy, moved in, and alighted at the foot of Masio
Bridge. They went on-foot to strategic structures recovered from and
erstwhile strongholds of the terrorist Maute-ISIS Group in the 137 days.
Around 753 terrorists were neutralized and 805 firearms were seized
from them at the expense of 155 AFP and PNP Personnel Killed-in-Action.
The AFP Chief and his team clad in force
protection vests and helmets set foot for the first time in and deeper
into the Main Battle Area-- amidst explosions and sporadic gun fires
that break the eerie silence in the former sites of fierce armed
engagements. He was led first to the JTI College Building.
He had the chance to visit, talk to, and
receive quick field brief from BGen Glenn Paje, the Commander of Task
Group “Musang” whose men and those from TG “Tiger” headed by BGen
Melquiades Ordiales, and TG “Vector” under Army Colonel Corleto Vinluan
continue to engage the remaining terrorists who use their civilian
hostages as shield, IEDs, and remaining firearms and ammunition in their
waning grip of Marawi.
General Año saw for himself the tunnels
and underground havens in the Pink Building, and C and D Commercial
Center, among several other locations the terrorists once used as
command and control centers, safe haven, IED factories, and detention
facilities for their civilian hostages.
The General’s staff also saw for the
first time the inside of Bato Mosque and one of the chambers where Fr.
“Chito” Soganub was once held captive.
It was a hair-raising experience for Gen
Año and his staff to step into Saint Mary’s Cathedral—one of the
religious edifices whose ruins stand as mute witness to violent
extremism and radicalism. Mass was offered here again for the first time
in 24 September attended by government security forces.
Ode to the Heroes
General Año was given the Operations
Update Brief by Major General Danilo Pamonag at the Headquarters of
Joint Task Force “Trident” (JTFT) that the latter also commands. Task
Group commanders, maneuver battalion commanders, and Philippine National
Police contingent commander were in all attendance during the briefing.
The AFP Chief expressed elation over the
successful retaking of key enemy strongholds, seizure of their
equipment, and the safe rescue of hostages –the recent rescue was of 17
civilians of which eight were females. He also expressed optimism that
the liberation of Marawi may soon be had in accord with the plan of the
JTFT to finish the crisis by mid-October.
During his talk after the briefing, Gen
Año once more reiterated thus, “I am immensely proud of every Soldier,
Airmen, Sailor, Marine, Policeman, and Coast Guard personnel fighting
the terrorists in Marawi.
“I am as gratified of those who are
outside of the besieged City whose operations immensely contributed to
minimize if not totally negate the possibility of the terrorists
spilling over from or reinforcing the extremists in Marawi.
“I am here thinking that my presence
will continue to inspire you, but it is I whom you inspire every time I
see you and talk to you and see for myself how far you’ve gone in the
operations since my last visit.
“The date of my compulsory retirement
draws near, but I remain focused. Focused on how the General
Headquarters and the entire AFP can support you here in your daily quest
to finish this fight. I continue to treat my every day as if it was my
first day at work. It will only be my last day as your Chief-of-Staff on
the 26th of October when I could have relinquished my post to a worthy successor.
“But I will continue to remain the
proudest! That before my curtain call, I have commanded you, Heroes of
the Nation, in this singular, unprecedented battle in the annals of
Philippine history,” said the General whose brief speech was greeted
with thunderous applause.
Change of Command Ceremonies
It was already 2:30 PM of the cloudy
afternoon when the AFP Chief presided over two Change-of-Command
Ceremonies-- in a shaded space that was converted as the “ceremonial
area” at the makeshift headquarters. Adorned by the national flag, the
unit standard, “lecterns” made from stacked ammunition boxes and
available officers and men who stood witnesses, the solemn rites of
passage proceeded.
Brigadier General Roseller G Murillo, a
member of the Philippine Military Academy “Sinagtala” Class of 1986 and
former Senior Military Assistant to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana,
took over the post of Major General Rolando Joselito Bautista as
Commander, 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division (1ID) of the Philippine Army that has Marawi, Lanao del Sur in its Area of Responsibility (AoR).
Brigadier General Murillo is the former
commander of the 103rd Brigade based in Marawi City. He was at the helm
of the unit in a number of successful campaigns against the local
terrorist group in Lanao del Sur in 2016 and finished his tenure before
the Marawi Crisis.
Major General Bautista, a member of
Philippine Military Academy “Sandiwa” Class of 1985 is the newly-posted
Commanding General of the Philippine Army having been installed as such
by the Commander-in-Chief President Rodrigo Duterte vice Lieutenant
General Glorioso Miranda who compulsorily retired form the service in 05
October 2017 at 56 years old.
Meanwhile, the second COC ceremony was
for Joint Task Force Marawi (JTFM). MGen Danilo Pamonag, the incumbent
Commander of Joint Task Force “Trident” took over the post from MGen
Bautista after the latter relinquished his Command of 1ID to BGen
Murillo.
“MGen Pamonag leads the elite AFP and
PNP Units in the MBA supporting MGen Bautista who is the overall
commander of all operating AFP, PNP, and PCG units on the onset of the
crisis in Marawi, says General Ano during his remarks.
“That is one singular credential that
makes the former the perfect replacement for the latter. He (MGen
Pamonag) has a clear and good grasp of every facet of the ongoing
operations. Therefore there will be no continuity or learning curve
issues. Besides, I personally know him and I am confident of his
sterling leadership as manifested by the continuing operational gains
the AFP is reaping.
“I once again express my elation and
satisfaction for all your accomplishments and sacrifices to end this
crisis. You do not only make your AFP proud, you did the country proud!
“General Douglas MacArthur couldn’t have
said it better, ‘Give me Ten Thousand Filipinos (soldiers) and I shall
conquer the world!’. Those words continue to ring true to this very day
long past the Second World War. I shall never run out of praises to you,
I can only say, I am very proud to have been your AFP Chief of Staff in
this unfolding history of our nation. Because other armed forces of the
world today look at you with high degree of respect, admiration,
inspiration, and hope of emulation.”
Lieutenant General Carlito G Galvez, the
Commander Western Mindanao Command and other high-ranking officers was
host to the party of the AFP Chief.
MGen Filemon Santos, Jr., the Deputy Chief of Staff for intelligence, J2 and incoming Commander of 7th
Infantry Division based in Fort Magsaysay; MGen Isidro Purisima, the
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, J3; MGen Melquiades Felciano, the
Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations, J7; and Marine
Colonel Edgard Arevalo, the Chief of AFP Public Affairs Office and
incoming Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military
Operations, AJ7 were among the Joint and Personal Staff from the General
Headquarters who accompanied General Año.
Colonel Ramil Bitong, the Army Staff for
Personnel, G1 and Colonel Glenn Cruz, the Army Staff for Loistics, G4
accompanied the 59th Commanding General of the Philippine Army MGen Bautista.
The visit was capped by a lunch boodle
fight at 3:30PM. After which, at 4:00, the AFP Chief of Staff and his
team were airlifted from the area.
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