Southcom HQ stays in Zambo

ZAMBOANGA CITY — House defense committee members said there is no need to transfer the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Command headquarters from this city to Zamboanga del Sur.

House defense committee chairman and Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez also vowed to keep a close watch on the budgetary aspect of the transfer if the in-depth study of the proposal is found to have no basis.

Golez said the proposed Southcom transfer would affect Zamboanga City and Mindanao as well as the rest of the country.

"In our opinion, there is no basis for the transfer plans," he said during an inquiry into the proposed transfer, adding that the House of Representatives could use its oversight powers to stop the plan from proceeding. "We will object to the budget proposal."

Golez said the defense committee will strongly oppose the proposed transfer of the Southcom if the viability of such a move is not established.

During the interpellation, defense committee vice chairman and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay said there was no need for the transfer after Southcom chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza said the command could serve well in any area of Mindanao "but not Zamboanga."

Braganza said moving the Southcom to Pagadian City would maintain the military’s advantage against insurgents and terrorist groups and better serve the entire Mindanao region.

"The military should consider not just the internal threat but also the external threat," Pichay said, citing the threat posed by the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a cell of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network in Southeast Asia.

He said the military must focus on the southern "backdoor," adding that the present setup of the Southcom is more of a deterrent.

House minority leader and Sorsogon Rep. Francis Escudero also opposed the proposal to transfer the Southcom after he listened to the military’s explanations.

"Speaking on behalf of the house minority members, I fully support the sentiments of the Zamboangeños not to transfer Southcom, considering the budgetary problem and the absence of a plan," Escudero said.

According to Escudero, Braganza made it clear that he did not recommend the proposed transfer to President Arroyo but he had to abide by the President’s decision.

"At the moment it is not advisable," he said. "There is a saying: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’"

General Santos City Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio said she is confused by the President’s order to transfer the Southcom.

Custodio said the transfer would not affect General Santos City, which had no complaints regarding the Southcom’s existing setup.

She said the transfer order should not be based on the President’s order but on the viability of the proposal and its impact.

Both Sulu Rep. Hussin Amin and Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman said the military must focus instead on modernization rather than spending money unnecessarily.

Amin and Hataman said the military campaigns in Basilan and Sulu underscore the urgent need to modernize the AFP.

Prior to the hearing, the defense committee conducted an on-site assessment of the Southcom and its major unit, which includes the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) 3rd Tactical Operation Wing, a military supply point at Camp Gen. Arturo Enrile in Malagutay and a naval base.

Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat reiterated the city’s strong stand against the proposed Southcom transfer, citing the security and economic impact such a move would have on his city.

Tens of thousands of residents from all walks of life marched to the gymnasium of Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), where the inquiry was held, to protest plans to transfer the Southcom.

The assembly forced the police to close major roads leading to WMSU.

Banks, shopping malls, drugstores, and other business establishments mounted their own protest action: they closed up shop, leaving the commercial district deserted.

Police and military personnel described the protest as generally peaceful with no untoward incidents reported.