CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao — Three new Army generals assigned in Central Mindanao have vowed to work closely with government agencies and local officials in preventing the spread of Islamic extremism to ensure public safety and avoid the Marawi City-like siege in the future.
Three Army Brigade commanders were given promotion honors during the 30th foundation anniversary of the 6th Infantry Division based here.
Brigadier Generals Diosdado Carreon, 601st Army brigade chief, Jesus Sarsagat, 603rd Brigade commander, and Bismark Soliba, chief of 1st Mechanized Brigade, were recipients of the Army’s traditional “doning of ranks.”
Maj. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, 6th Infantry Division commander, and Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, Philippine Army commanding general, led the ceremonies in this camp on Monday.
Speaking to the newly-promoted Army generals, Dela Vega reminded Carreon, Sarsagat and Soliba that aside from regular tasks as brigade commanders, they are to engage in peace-building activities to suppress local armed groups that pledged allegiance to ISIS and continued to threaten peace loving citizens.
“The new generals will work closely with the mayors and provincial governors and the Muslim and Christian religious communities to attain peace,” Dela Vega said.
Soliba, the most senior among newly-promoted officials, is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1985 while Carreon and Sarsagat belong to PMA Class 87 and 88, respectively.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, a classmate of Sarsagat, assumed on Friday as director of the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-ARMM) at Camp SK Pendatun in Parang town in Maguindanao.
Army battalions under Sarsagat are deployed in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, two provinces where private armed groups and ISIS-inspired jihadist operate.
Dela Vega said his marching order for the brigade commanders was to suppress ISIS-inspired groups and private armed groups in their respective areas of assignment. (PNA)
