Dema-ala to take over 6th ID in Central Mindanao

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao — Maj. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala takes over the helm of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division on Monday, inheriting the anti-terrorism thrust of his predecessor, Gen. Raul Relano, in Central Mindanao, a known haven of the Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional terror group.

During Relano’s stint, which started in late 2004, the 6th ID started reaching out, through low-level peace dialogues, to field commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to sustain the ceasefire in areas within its jurisdiction.

"We don’t have a Torrens title to our positions in the military. Our (superiors) decide where to assign us and how long we stay in a certain position. As soldiers loyal to the Armed Forces and the national government, we just obey orders," Relano said.

Dema-ala, former commander of the anti-crime Task Force Comet in Sulu and the surrounding island-provinces, is not new to the 6th ID’s turf.

For nearly three years, Dema-ala was the commander of the Army’s 301st Infantry Brigade in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat. The 301st IB was renamed the 604th IB, a component unit of the 6th ID.

While in Tacurong City, Dema-ala led several combat missions that neutralized 18 high-ranking commanders of the notorious Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom gang.

He also negotiated the surrender of 670 MILF rebels. — John Unson