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Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Old Davao airport eyed as military base camp
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is said to be eyeing the old Davao International Airport as a possible headquarter for the new Southern Command (Southcom) office to be established in Davao Region.
A highly placed source revealed that AFP chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon has already informed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte on the plan and are just waiting for the go-signal from the two officials.
The AFP is also planning to use the Southern Philippines Development Authority's property in Catalunan Pequeno for Southcom's training facilities.
Arroyo declared last week the plan to divide the AFP's Southcom into two.
Presently, Southcom is based in Zamboanga City.
If plans push through, a Southcom Eastern Mindanao will be established in Davao City to take care of all military operations in Davao and other neighboring regions.
The Zamboanga Peninsula and other neighboring areas meanwhile will be under the Southcom Western Mindanao area.
Southcom comprises about 60 percent, or 70,000 troops, of the 120,000-strong Armed Forces.
Esperon said the reason for such a split is for the AFP to effectively go after enemies of the state like the New People's Army and the Abu Sayyaf and their allies.
"Southcom is characterized by the strong presence of secessionist movements, which are now under control, but we have some terrorists that we have to address. (We will divide Southcom) for better control and to put more focus in the fight against the communist terrorists in the eastern part of Mindanao," Esperon said.
Esperon said Southcom's split may be implemented by the first week of August.
He said he would make "some redeployment" of troops from other parts of the country to Mindanao to fill up the new area command.
Esperon, however, did not mention how many troops would be involved.
The Southcom is the biggest of the six unified commands in the military.
The others are Northern Luzon Command based in Tarlac, Southern Luzon Command based in Quezon; National Capital Region Command based in Camp Aguinaldo; Central Command based in Cebu; and Western Command based in Palawan.
Southcom is currently headed by Lieutenant General Gabriel Habacon. (BOT)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (July 25, 2006 issue)
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