ARMM mourns demise of Army general

COTABATO CITY, Philippines  --- The late Brig. Gen. Daniel Lucero will be remembered in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for his strict implementation of the total log  ban  in the watersheds of Lake Lanao while commander of an Army brigade in Lanao del Sur.

Lucero, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, died last week of cardiac arrest after diving during an outing at a beach in Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur last Sunday.

Lucero, prior to his assumption as division commander, was at the helm of the Army’s 103rd Brigade in Lanao del Sur.

While commander of the 103rd Brigade, he was also concurrent chief of the anti-crime Task Force Ranao in the province.

Lucero was deputized by ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman in January 2012 to enforce a total log ban in Lanao del Sur, which covers more than 40 towns.

Lucero and his men had seized close to 50 truckloads of logs and lumbers from poachers when they operated against illegal cutting of trees in Lanao del Sur based on a directive issued by  the ARMM governor.

Maranaw leaders said Lucero also padlocked about a dozen illegal sawmills owned by big Moro clans in the province.

Assemblywoman Samira Gutoc, representative of the women sector to the 27-member Regional Legislative Assembly, said Lucero was also popular for his extensive support to peace-building activities of local officials, civil society organizations and local government units in Lanao del Sur.

The assemblywoman, who is also of Maranaw descent, said Lucero was also present in peace dialogues among local communities in the four corners of Lanao del Sur while a brigade commander.

“We lost a good Army general. We are saddened by his demise,” Hataman said.

Lucero is survived by his wife, Maria Consuelo and daughter, Paula Divina.

Hataman said the anti-illegal logging campaign of Lucero in Lanao del Sur was successful.

Forestlands in the surroundings of Lanao del Sur are the main watersheds of Lake Lanao, the country’s largest.

The downstream flow of Lake Lanao to Iligan City and Lanao del Norte propels several hydro-electric plants supplying about three-fourths of Mindanao’s daily power requirements.

ARMM officials said they will also remember Lucero for helping prevent no fewer than 20,000 minors and non-residents to register in Lanao del Sur towns during the ARMM’s July 9-18, 2012 general re-listing of voters

“Vehicles carrying those `tourist registrants’ were prevented from moving around the province by checkpoints established by Gen. Lucero and the provincial police office,” recalled Abdulrashid Ladayo Sr., the Office of the Regional Governor’s intelligence and security director, also a Maranaw from the first district of Lanao del Sur.

Lucero even attended last week’s victory thanksgiving banquet in Lamitan City Hataman tendered, in celebration of  the latter's  election as regional governor, for his constituent leaders in Basilan, the ARMM governor’s home-province.

“We were shocked with the news about his untimely demise. We were together in Lamitan City two days before he died,” said Lamitan Mayor Roderick Furigay.

Lucero, while a colonel, was also assigned in Basilan as commanding officer of the Army’s 18th Infantry Battalion.

Lucero passed away about 2 p.m. Sunday in a hospital in Pagadian City where he was rushed after he collapsed after diving in a beach resort in Tukuran..