7th IB commander Hao turns over post to his executive deputy Sunday

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 12): 7th IB commander Hao turns over post to his executive deputy Sunday

The 7th Infantry Battalion, one of the battalions under the Army’s 6th Infantry Division based in Pikit, North Cotabato, will have a new commander, starting Jan 13. After two years as 7th IB commander, Lt. Col. Benjamin Hao will relinquish his post to his executive officer, Lt. Col. Donald Gumiran. Gumiran has been Hao’s deputy for nine months.

Hao will pursue a teaching job at a military school in Manila after his stay in Pikit town. Hao said among his legacies is taking part in the sealing of several peace agreements between warring clans in Pikit town.  In 2003, a war between Moro rebels and the Philippine troops took place in Pikit town, which displaced thousands of residents in at least 42 villages and nearby towns of Pagalungan and Datu Montawal in Maguindanao province. Sporadic clashes between warring families and clans due to rido also occurred in the area of responsibility (AOR) of the 7th IB, which covers the towns of Pikit, Carmen, Matalam, and Kabacan in North Cotabato; Pagalungan and Datu Montawal in Maguindanao; and northern portion of the Liguasan marsh.

Clan feuds, Hao said, are considered one of the major problems in his AOR because aside from casualties, they also caused damage to properties and crippled local economy. Rido management in the area, he explained,“is very complex,” thus, his strategy was to keep the Army presence in the conflict area and try their best to understand the problem. “The 7th IB did its best in preventing armed conflict to happen in our area of jurisdiction, particularly in Pikit, Pagalungan, and Carmen, which are traditionally source of conflict between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” he said.

When the signing of the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro (FAB) took place on October 15, Hao said they had their own ‘simple celebration’ at the headquarters. “I am glad we’re part of the signing of the peace agreement even in a small way,” he said. The 7th IB said that year 2012 is best remembered for the FAB signing. “We are now experiencing a relevant peace situation locally because of this agreement,” it said.

In his report, Hao said that in August 2012, two months before the FAB signing, a group of bandits tried to disrupt the peace and order in North Cotabato after they were forced to move out of the province of Maguindanao. “Through the efforts of the military, PNP, and the local MILF forces, these bandits fled the area tired and frustrated,” his report added.

The 7IB is also preparing for the national mid-term election in May. “We will enhance our partnership, not only with the COMELEC and the local PNP, but also with a group of civil society organizations to achieve an honest, orderly and peaceful election,” Hao stressed.

During Hao’s two years as commander in war-torn areas in Central Mindanao, he said he learned more about the social, political, and cultural aspect of people. “I need to share this knowledge to my Army so that we can serve Mindanao better in the coming years,” he stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=486654