ID, IB, AHJAG – these were some of the acronyms mentioned by resource persons during the hearings of joint committees of the Senate on the Mamasapano incident. We have compiled the most-repeated acronyms and their meanings.
GPH: Government of the Philippines: It is a presidential, representative, and democratic republic where the President of the Philippines is both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system. The government has three interdependent branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.
PNP-SAF: Philippine National Police-Special Action Force: It is the country’s commando unit tasked to conduct operations as a Rapid Deployment Force anywhere in the country. Its functions include counter terrorism operations against local and international terrorist groups, hostage rescue operations of national or of international significance, search and rescue operations in times of calamities, disaster and national emergencies, and civil disturbance management (CDM) during mass actions in support to local police units.
AFP: Armed Forces of the Philippines: Formally organized during the American Commonwealth era through the National Defense Act of 1935, the AFP is composed of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It is a volunteer force, in that its manpower is derived from volunteers rather than by conscription or mandatory service.
ID: Infantry Division: An infantry division is a large military unit or formation. This formation consists of between 10,000 and 30,000 soldiers. A division is composed of several regiments or brigades. Several divisions make up a corps.
IB: Infantry Brigade: This is a line unit under a division of the Philippine Army. This unit typically consists of about 1,500 to 4,000 soldiers.
MILF: Moro Islamic Liberation Front: A breakaway group of the Moro National Liberation Front in 1977, this organization was formally established in 1984. It originally demanded independence from the government of the Philippines but on September 23, 2010, Mohagher Iqbal modified the groups demand to a Muslim substate, likened to a United States state-system.
The group is currently negotiating with the GPH.
BIAF: Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces: This is the armed-wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Under the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB), the MILF has agreed to decommission this unit.
BIFF: Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters: This is a Muslim militant organization based in Mindanao. It splintered from the MILF after the Philippine Supreme Court nullified the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain. Ameril Umbra Kato founded the organization since he wants full independence and disagrees with the MILF’s acceptance of autonomy.
CCCH: Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities: This is a mechanism under the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) and composed of representatives from both the GPH and MILF. It is tasked to oversee that both parties “shall desist from committing any prohibited hostile and provocative acts.”
AHJAG: Ad Hoc Joint Action Group: This group was formed to coordinate and work in tandem with the Joint CCCH. It is composed of representatives from both the GPH and the MILF. It is specifically tasked to implement the isolation and interdiction of all criminal syndicates, kidnap-for-ransom groups and other criminal groups including the “lost commands” or splinter armed groups operating in MILF areas and communities.
IMT: International Monitoring Team: This team is tasked to monitor the implementation of the Agreement on Peace between the GPH and the MILF.
KIA: Killed in action. Term used by the military to describe the death of their soldiers in the hands of hostile forces.
WIA: Wounded in action. Used to describe combatants wounded while fighting.
HVT: High Value Target: According to the US Department of Defense, defines an HVT as a target the enemy commander requires for the successful completion of the mission. The loss of high-value targets would be expected to seriously degrade important enemy functions throughout the friendly commander’s area of interest.
IED: Improvised Explosive Device: This is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be composed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery round, attached to a detonating mechanism and can also be detonated through a cellphone.
Sources: www.gov.ph, www.opapp.gov.ph, www.saf.pnp.gov.ph
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