(feature) Cimatu Needs His Brilliant Past As Denr Chief

Newly-confirmed Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy A. Cimatu's storied past as a brilliant tactician and strategist during his illustrious long military career where he saw action in the Mindanao war in 2001, is worth recalling now that his department is fighting another battle to protect the country's remaining rich natural resources from illegal mining, loggers and poachers.

His achievement in the military, particularly during the all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Central Mindanao in 2001 gave him the edge to be promoted as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the four-star rank, the highest in the military service.

Here is Gen. Cimatu's story worth reading as written by this writer in his book, 'Gallantry in Mindanao.'

As a brilliant tactician and strategist, Cimatu earned the sobriquet 'General Pacman' for capturing most of the 46 MILF camps one after the other, referring to the character in the once highly popular computer game that devours everything that blocks his way. The aggressiveness of General Cimatu at the height of the fighting between government forces and the rebels was so well-known that then Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Angelo T. Reyes himself dubbed Cimatu as 'General Pacman.''

At the turn of new millennium, the MILF became restive in Central Mindanao. Its camps sprouted in various parts of the region, which was a blatant violation of the Ceasefire Agreement signed in 1997. The military was watching keenly the unfolding events of the 'take-and-talk' strategy the MILF was pursuing. It was a creeping invasion right under the very nose of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, whose hands in the ongoing peace process at that time had been tied.

From 1995 up to 2001, the MILF increased its strength by 20 percent annually and its firearms procurement by 21 percent based on the monitoring done by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and police intelligence community. The military has also recorded intermittent clashes between government forces and MILF rebels. When the tempo of the unprovoked attacks escalated starting January 2000, Armed Forces of the Philippines authorities expressed serious concern. Then in February, the unexpected happened. The MILF carried out a series of bombings, the heinous of which was the blasting of an interisland barge the MIV Mediatrix in Ozamiz City (Misamis Occidental), killing 39 people and wounding many.

On March 16, 2000, the MILF's 303rd Brigade led by Abdul Rakman G. Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, attacked and occupied the town of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte. The 4th Infantry Division responded swiftly. Fortunately, the First Marine Brigade under Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio had arrived two days earlier in Cagayan de Oro City from Palawan for deployment to Balabagan, Lanao del Sur to contain the perimeter defense of Camp Abubakar, the largest MILF camp and seat of power of the rebels.

'That was the original plan,' General Cimatu said.

But the sudden attack on Kauswagan changed all that. He said he diverted the deployment of the 1st Marine Brigade and the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion of the Philippine Army to the besieged town where the MILF was holding some 300 civilian hostages.

The arrival of additional troops was timely, he said because he only had a small force at the time and there were 400 MILF rebels occupying Kauswagan. The general added his decision to redeploy the Marines 'was very crucial because had I not used the Marines, it would have been difficult to launch a counterattack.'

The Marines struck with blitzkrieg precision that sent the MILF retreating in wild abandon, leaving their hostages behind. Kauswagan was under the command of the two brigades, the 1st Marine Brigade and the Army's 402nd Brigade under Army Col. Samuel Bagasin.

Cimatu personally went inside an Aglipayan church, where some of the hostages were kept, and told them that the rebels had fled in disarray. To avoid being arrested, they discarded their firearms, took off their fatigue uniforms and changed into civilian clothes. The rebels then mixed with the civilian populace. The next day, Cimatu ordered his troops to conduct clearing operations to ensure that all the guerillas had left.

On March 18, 2000, the Marines proceeded to Inudaran to attack another MILF camp. It was during the heavy fighting there that Lt. Dhon Alfonso Javier, a godson of President Joseph Estrada, and five other soldiers were killed. With the success of the first two counterattacks by government forces, Defense Secretary Orlando S. Mercado and...