Military unifies special ops units following deadly rebel sieges in Mindanao

FOLLOWING the military’s failure in preventing the deadly rebel siege of Zamboanga City in 2013 and Marawi City in 2017, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has unified all special operations units under one command – the AFP Special Operations Command.

The AFP Special Operations Command shall take over all control and supervision of special operations units from major military services – the Special Operations Wing of the Philippine Air Force, the Naval Special Operations Group from the Philippine Navy; Scout Ranger Regiment, Special Forces Regiment and Us-trained Light Reaction Regiment of

the Philippine Army; and the Joint Special Operations Group of the General Headquarters in Manila.

Its headquarters will be at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija province, according to Lt. Col. Emmanuel Garcia, of the AFP Public Affairs Office. Garcia, quoting AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, said: “The activation of AFP SOCOM was the result of lessons learned in Zamboanga City attack in 2013 and Marawi siege in 2017”.

“I have personally seen the need for a joint SOCOM, having been a Brigade, Division, and Area Commander. In the Eastern Mindanao Command I saw the need for a single unit that would oversee the proper employment of the different major service special operations forces deployed in the area,” Guerrero was quoted as saying.

“I expect that all of the gaps and challenges we encountered in joint operations involving our SOFS will be addressed with our activation of the AFP SOCOM. This organizational improvements will ensure that the AFP remains responsive and adaptive to current and emerging challenges in the global security environment,” Guerrero added.

Maj. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista is named as the AFP SOCOM chief.

Armed followers of Nur Misuari, the chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front, invaded Zamboanga City with forces coming from Basilan and Sulu, and local forces and took civilians as hostages. The siege lasted over three weeks and left hundreds of people dead and wounded and displaced more than 130,000.

It was the second attack since 2001 after Misuari’s forces also laid siege of Cabatangan village in Zamboanga and Jolo town in Sulu province and took more than 100 civilian hostages. They were eventually freed in exchange for the hostages.

The attacks were trigged after Manila rejected Misuari’s demand to “perpetually” stay in power as governor of the Muslim autonomous region following the signing of the peace agreement in September 1996.

Under the peace deal, Manila would have to provide a mini-marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas in Mindanao and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.

After the failed rebellion, Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, where he had been arrested and deported to the Philippines and was eventually pardoned and released by then President Gloria Arroyo in exchange for MNLF support to her election bid as well as her allies in the Senate and Congress in 2004.

But Misuari was also ousted by his Foreign Affairs chief Parouk Hussin, who along with Muslimen Sema, a senior leader; and other senior leaders, made up the so-called Council of 15.

Sema’s group previously appointed Misuari as chairman emeritus, but he rejected the position. Sema had criticized Misuari for dragging the MNLF into disarray. The Council of 15 also accused Misuari of being incompetent as governor of the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao.

Misuari’s fall had severely affected the MNLF which is now heavily divided and rift among its leaders is becoming more apparent. Misuari also ran thrice for governor in Sulu province even while under detention, but lost miserably. Despite the rebellion charges against Misuari, he remains untouchable and free due to his huge number of armed followers in Mindanao and political dealings with Arroyo and now President Rodrigo Duterte.

Local ISIS militants also occupied Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur, last year in an effort to put up a caliphate in the province. The siege lasted months until the military rained bombs and artillery on the hideouts of militants and virtually destroying nearly all buildings in Marawi.

The occupation of Marawi by the militants led by the Maute Brothers and Abu Sayyaf chieftain Isnilon Hapilon was largely blamed on the lapses of security and failure of intelligence on the part of the military and police. The regional military commander during the deadly siege is Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, who has been named by Duterte as the next AFP chief.