In Zamboanga City, women lead Marine unit, local police

Lt Col. Maria Rowena Muyuela is the first female marine to lead one of the important battalions of the Philippine Marine Corps, the Assault Armor Battalion based in Camp Marine Base Arturo Asuncion, Barangay Cabatangan. Muyuela assumed as the new battalion commander after the relief of Lt. Col Francel Mendoza on March 7.

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Defying the usual perception of them as damsels in distress, women are firmly taking lead roles in the security sector here, with two women breaking ground as the first females appointed battalion commander of the Marine Corps, and officer in charge (OIC) of the city’s police office, respectively.

In a ceremony attended mostly by men inside the Marine Base Arturo Asuncion in Barangay Cabatangan here, a woman proudly took center stage.

Lt. Col. Maria Rowena Muyuela received the troops’ salute, their hearty chants of “uwah!” and a congratulatory round of applause as the new commander of the Marines’ Assault Armor Battalion, a national unit that provides maneuver brigades with armored assets to support their operations.

In the change of command rites presided by Philippine Marine Corps commandant Maj. Gen. Arturo Rojas on Thursday, Muyuela took the mantle of leadership from Lt. Col. Franzen Mendoza.

“This is a special day because we have the first female Marine as battalion commander,” Rojas said in his speech. While he acknowledged that Muyuela’s assumption of the post coincided with the celebration of Women’s Month, Rojas explained that the decisive factors in her appointment were “her capabilities and [how] she was able to complete the required schoolings [and] required positions, [that made her] very much ready to lead a battalion.”

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He added that Muyuela “developed her expertise in the unit [starting when she was a] lieutenant and [was] involved in various deployments, both combat and administrative.”

Weng, as friends and family call Muyuela, first saw combat action in Basilan in 2007. While there were 13 female officers in the Marine Corps at that time, only she was on combat duty, with the rest filling up administrative positions. It was her choice, she told the Inquirer.

Muyuela took up psychology at the Western Mindanao State University before enlisting in the Marine Corps, taking after her soldier-father and two brothers.

Supporting Muyuela in the Marine Corps are Maj. Beryl Bacolcol, executive officer in the battalion general staff, and Captains Aini Despi and Lorraine Toreña.

A first for ZCPO

The Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) also has a woman at its helm, with Police Col. Kimberly Esteban Molitas taking over as OIC starting March 5.

The order from the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management was confirmed on Wednesday by Police Lt. Col. Helen Galvez, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office 9.

Molitas becomes the first female police officer to lead the 1,543-member ZCPO. She is the 24th city director, replacing Col. Alexander Lorenzo, who will be reporting to Camp Crame.

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The designation of more women in top positions in the security sector is a welcome development, said Esperancita Hupida, executive director of the Zamboanga-Basilan Integrated Development Alliance Inc.

“It’s long overdue so we welcome this breakthrough. We hope that these women officers will support our campaign for the participation of women and sectoral groups in policymaking, monitoring, and assessment of peace and security, and women-led community policing including the realities of VAWC (violence against women and children) which are mostly not reported, even in their own ranks,” Hupida said.

Female officers can count on the support of civil society organizations, she added. “The entire female community salute and celebrate their success. They need everybody’s support for the tough job ahead, given the recent killings in Zamboanga City, the peace and order issues, and other security-related concerns.”

For his part, Rojas cited how the Marine Corps treats everyone fairly, as “signaled” by Muyuela’s appointment. “It’s good to tell our people that there is equal opportunity in the Philippine Marine Corps and we don’t evaluate them based on gender,” he pointed out.

Rojas said his marching order to Muyuela, who will supervise the nationwide armor requirement, is: “Train your troops very hard. Train them like they are going to war every day.”