‘Sir TY’ is new Marines chief

From Malaya Business Insight (Feb 22): ‘Sir TY’ is new Marines chief

BRIG. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985, is the new commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps, replacing Maj. Gen. Andre Costales who reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Salamat, outgoing assistant superintendent of the PMA in Baguio City, assumed his new post in rites held at the Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said Salamat, who is known to his subordinates as “Sir TY (Thank You),” completed military and academic training in local and foreign schools.

“He is a graduate of the US Ranger. He is one of the pioneers of the US ranger (course),” said Arevalo.

In Mindanao, a seasoned Army intelligence officer has been designated as commander of military forces in Basilan amid ongoing efforts to end the Abu Sayyaf within the first six months of the year.

Col. Juvymax Uy assumed his new post -- commander of the 104th Brigade and concurrent head of the Joint Task Force Basilan -- in rites held at task force’s headquarters in Isabela City last Saturday.

Basilan and Sulu are the main areas of operations of the Abu Sayyaf which is holding 27 foreign and Filipino hostages. The Abu Sayyaf last week threatened to behead German captive at 3 p.m. on February 26 if it does not receive a P30-million ransom payment.

Uy said defeating the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan within the first six months of the year is “a possibility.”

Uy, previously the commander of the AFP’s Task Force Zamboanga, replaced Col. Cirilo Thomas Donato who has been designated as deputy commander of the 1st Infantry Division in Zamboanga del Sur.

Uy, 50, a member of the PMA Class of 1989, is the youngest Army officer to command a brigade.

Salamat headed the 1st Marine Brigade based in Sultan Kudarat. It was in that capacity when he accomplished a major feat against the Ansar Al-Khilafah group, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, in Palimbang town in November 2015.

A joint operation with the police resulted in the killing of four group members, including Indonesian Ibrahim Ali alias Abu Fattah, and the recovery of a cache of firearms and explosives.

Uy, before becoming Task Force Zamboanga commander in January last year, was commander of the Army’s Intelligence Group.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/%E2%80%98sir-ty%E2%80%99-new-marines-chief