Marine commander in Sulu relieved

From the Daily Tribune (Oct 3): Marine commander in Sulu relieved

Amid the dragging hostage-taking by the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group of two Germans in Sulu, the Marine commander in-charge of the province was relieved yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Martin Pinto was relieved as commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade which is in-charge of the entire Sulu and the primary military unit running after the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group in the island-province.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy “Maharlika” Class of 1984, Pinto was replaced by Col. Maximo Ballesteros, of PMA “Sandiwa” Class of 1985.

Pinto would be reassigned at the military’s general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo as assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence.

On the other hand, Ballesteros is not new to fighting the Abu Sayyaf group having served to units deployed in Sulu and Basilan, which are both known to be terrorist havens. And prior to his new assignment, Ballesteros was the deputy commander of the Marine Operations in Naval Forces West in Palawan.

The changing of military commander in Sulu came amid the dragging captivity of Germans Stefan Viktor Okonek, 71, and Herike Diesen, 55, by the terrorist Abu Sayyaf.

The two foreigners were snatched last April while on a cruise off Palawan aboard a yacht.

Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Jesus Millan, however, maintained that the reassignment of Pinto and Ballesteros is part of the “normal rotation.”

“This is part of the normal rotation among senior commanders in the Navy,” Millan told reporters.

Millan stressed that Pinto’s reassignment to GHQ was not connected with the investigation called by the AFP leadership regarding a howitzer misfire last July that resulted in the killing of six troops from the AFP’s Joint Special Operations Group (JSOG) in Patikul.

“We have not reached whatever is the result of the BOI (board of inquiry) activated by the GHQ…it’s not (related) this is (career) advancement,” said Millan.

For his part, Navy Civil Military Operations chief Col. Edgard Arevalo echoed Millan’s pronouncements, describing both Pinto and Ballesteros as ready for their new posts.

Arevalo also stressed that the reassignment has nothing to do with the Sulu hostage-taking and the friendly fire last July.

Okonek and Diesen appealed earlier to the governments of the Philippines and Germany to exert all necessary efforts for their release. The two said they are suffering everyday under captivity in the jungles.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/marine-commander-in-sulu-relieved