Armed Forces Chief visits WESTMINCOM

From the Philippine Information Agency (Apr 12): Armed Forces Chief visits WESTMINCOM

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista, recently visited the headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) to meet with military commanders and assess the progress of the Internal Peace and Security Operations (IPSO) efforts in this part of the country.

Western Mindanao Command provided Gen. Bautista an information briefing about the current peace and security efforts of the command to include its actions taken in response to the Sabah crisis.

Col. Rodrigo T Gregorio, WESMINCOM Public Information Officer, disclosed that these efforts of the military include deterring and preventing reinforcements in Sabah.

He said the WESMINCOM would pursue to suppress and diffuse the tension through extensive collaboration with the different stakeholders, and to extend help to those displaced Filipinos in Sabah in the form of transportation, rescue and health services.

On the same occasion, Gen. Bautista underscored the important role of the command in the forthcoming May 13, 2013 midterm elections and encouraged the subordinate commanders to constantly engage with the different stakeholders, government and nongovernment agencies, civil society organizations and other people’s organization to ensure the conduct of peaceful, orderly and credible elections.

He further encouraged all AFP units to consult COMELEC officials for any clarification on the guidelines, and maximize the use of “established mechanism” like the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Centers (JPSCC) for a peaceful balloting.

He later expressed his satisfaction with the command’s performance especially in its handling and management of the recent Sabah crisis in both internal security and humanitarian efforts and commended all the members of WESTMINCOM for a job well done.