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Saturday, June 24, 2006
Tomas signs up as battalion commander
By Linette C. Ramos
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
He IS mayor of a premier city and honorary sultan to local Muslim communities. Now, he can also be called Lt. Col. Tomas Osmeña, after he was recruited as battalion commander of the 51st Marine Reserve Command.
The Cebu City mayor will not be seen in full battle gear often, though, as his new role will be more of a “godfather” than a commander, he said.
Osmeña was at the Marines Headquarters in Manila earlier this week for the turnover of command of the 51st Marine Battalion Reserve, a post that he said will allow him to help the reservists in training and logistics.
“I’m not saying I truly deserve to be a battalion commander but the law says that if I join the reservists, I’m entitled to a rank of lieutenant colonel. I can use my influence as mayor to help them or even tap them for some activities,” he told reporters last Thursday.
The mayor said he has long been recruited to join the Marines, but it was only recently that he accepted it. Last year, he was also recruited as a Philippine Navy reservist but he decided to transfer to the Marines.
Republic Act 7077, or the Citizen’s Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act, allows all elected and appointed government officials to become reservists in any branch of service in the Armed Forces.
Osmeña said he plans to tap the 200 reservists under his command to help ensure peace and order in Cebu during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in December.
Aside from the National Government’s budget of P1.8 million for the training of the reservists, the City may also help fund the training of Cebu-based reservists.
“I’m just there as their godfather, to help them if they need fuel or vehicles or training. What I’m trying to do is tap the private sector to join the reservists so we can increase the capability of the Marines,” the mayor added.
Although the battalion already has a strong support staff, the mayor wants to provide training to the reservists, such as medical training by the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.
After his recruitment, the mayor said he expects other elected officials in Cebu to join the armed forces, including the governor and the vice governor, who already expressed interest to become reservists.
Osmeña said this would be productive for the local government units because as reservists, its officials will be in a position to mobilize the community.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 24, 2006 issue)
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