New Army commander sees end of insurgency in Central Luzon in 2012

MANILA, Philippines—The newly installed commander of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division targets the end of insurgency in Central Luzon by the end of 2012.

“My vision for the 7th Infantry Division is very straightforward—clear Central Luzon (of insurgency) by 2012. We will win peace through the 4P Strategy,” said Major General Jose Mabanta Jr. during the recent turnover rites in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. The four P’s refer to People, Process and Systems, Partnership and Policy.

The 4P Strategy, he said, was in line with the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan, the military’s campaign plan against security threats.

With the first P (People), Mabanta said he would make sure that the personnel will have “the right talent for the right job and that these talents are satisfied, fully engaged and motivated to finish the mission.”

The second P (Process), Mabanta continued, would “guide soldiers to prevent loss of lives and optimize use of resources to make the organization ahead of its adversaries.”

In Partnership, Mabanta’s men at 7th ID “will need to work with all stakeholders and continue to establish stronger network, the alliance that is needed to finish the mission,” while Policies will be reinforced in as embodied in IPSP.

“As a soldier, the challenge of being at the front is very fulfilling. I strongly feel that I am back to where I belong. Now I feel that all my past positions and missions brought and made me prepared for my mission in 7th ID. Looking back, I had a very fulfilling military life, accomplishing a myriad of tasks in the environment full of unknowns and risks,” Mabanta said.

Mabanta, who was previously the deputy chief of staff for operations, said he sees his goal of an insurgency-free region as something “doable,” as he estimated the number of communists in the region down to only 166.