Military pulls out Marine contingent from Basilan

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The combat-tested 1st Marine Brigade has begun moving to its new base in Sarangani province in Central Mindanao after three years of battling Abu Sayyaf terrorists and secessionist Moro rebels in Basilan.

“The movement (of Marine troops) is ongoing. The whole brigade is moving to Central Mindanao. They will be replaced (in Basilan) by a special operations task force under Col. Nicanor Dolojan,” Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said.

Mabanta said the plan is to have the Marines focus on Central Mindanao, which include areas in Lanao del Norte and Cotabato.

“I do not know the exact location (of the Marines) but definitely, it would be in the Cotabato area,” he added.

Mabanta said Dolojan concurrently serves as de­puty commander of the Special Operations command.

Col. Alex Balutan, meanwhile, takes over Brig. Gen. Eugenio Clemen as 1st Marine Brigade commander on Nov. 15.

“It is a reshuffling of forces,” the AFP spokesman said when asked for the reason behind the redeployment of troops.

The 1st Marine Brigade’s new headquarters would be in Maasin town, Clemen said.

He said he had also deployed a company-size force to Cotabato in response to an appeal for help from the local government against kidnappers.

“The transfer is gradual because we only have one landing transport ship that would ferry our forces to Sarangani where we will have our new base,” Clemen said.

Clemen, also the acting chief of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao, would turn over his naval command to Commodore Orwen Cortez.

He also has been designated deputy commander of the Philippine Marines under Maj. Gen. Rustico Guerrero.

The Marines are leaving Basilan after significantly reducing threats from the Abu Sayyaf terror group and the so-called lost command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The pullout of the Marines came amid talks that the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), which supervises military operations in Basilan, would soon be under an Army general.

Marine Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, Wesmincom commander, is set to retire this month.

The AFP has been designating Navy officers as Wesmincom chief in accordance with its fleet-marine concept, aimed at improving “interoperability” among troops. The Marine Corps is a combat unit of the Navy.

The concept had paved way for the deployment of Marines to southwestern Mindanao. Military officials have claimed that the fleet-marine concept has intensified the drive against the Abu Sayyaf and criminal elements in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi

Mabanta expressed confidence that the Army troops would be able to sustain the efforts against armed groups in Basilan.