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New Westmincom chief ordered to “roll your sleeves and start working”
ZAMBOANGA CITY ? The new chief of the Western Mindanao Command urged his commanders to lead their soldiers on the field as he ordered them to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf, Maute Brothers Group and illegal drug problem in six months.
Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez, newly-installed Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, issued the order on Tuesday.
“Do not let your lieutenants fight for their lives. You have to fight with them, with our men, lead them to victory,” Galvez stressed.
Galvez said he joined his men leading from the front line “in more than 40 encounters” during his stint as the then commander of the Army’s 1 st Scout Ranger Battalion.
Gen. Eduardo Ano, Armed Forces chief-of- staff, installed Galvez as the new Westmincom commander replacing Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo Dela Cruz.
“I want you to roll your sleeves and start working as Westmincom commander,” Ano told Galvez as they flew to Tawi-Tawi and Sulu provinces after the change of command ceremony.
Galvez told all the unit commanders to do their homework in planning and preparation and execute it with accuracy and precision.
“ We cannot win the Abu Sayyaf by sticking to the box-type defense strategy and maintain sector defense framework. We should be creative. Get out of our comfort zone and devise a plan in which we can fight accurately and overwhelm the enemy completely,” he said.
He said he used this principle during the 2002 fighting with the Abu Sayyaf Group, then led by Khadaffy Janjalani, Isnilon Hapilon and Radulan Sahiron.
“The results were very bloody, but we never lost a battle and never lost even a single rifle to the enemy,” he said.
The Abu Sayyaf are holding 25 captives.
He also told all unit commanders to involve local government units, police, tribal leaders, and religious sector “in our fight against the ASG, Maute terror and against illegal drugs.”
“They are the core group that can create a strategic alliance in isolating our enemies,” he added.
Dela Cruz is set to assume as the new Inspector General (IG) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. DMS
