Army names bemedalled warfighter as civil military operations group head
MANILA, Philippines – A bemedalled warfighter now heads the civil military operations (CMO) group of the Philippine Army.
Colonel Cirilito Sobejana took the top post of the Armed Forces unit effective Tuesday, Army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc said in a statement.
Sobejana is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1987. He replaced Colonel Felimon Santos Jr who now heads the Intelligence Service Group (ISG).
The new CMO head is one of the recipients of Medal of Valor, the highest award given to soldiers in combat.
Sobejana was conferred with the award in 1995. On January 13 as commanding Officer (CO) of the 1st Scout Ranger Company, he led his troop in an encounter with about 150 Abu Sayyaf rebels in Sitio Caro, Barangay Lower Kapayawan, Isabela, Basilan.
At the height of the firefight, his troop was outnumbered and incurred casualties. He sustained two bullet wounds which almost severed his right arm but he stood his ground. He even maneuvered around, exposing himself to enemy fire to direct his troops.
In 2010, he also served as the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion.
Sobejana’s new position will test not only one’s patience, but also the creativity of a leader to bring the military and the civilians in perfect harmony towards achieving the goals of genuine Bayanihan, Cabunoc said.
Bayanihan (village spirit) is the military campaign on insurgency, which emphasizes non-combat means to beat the enemy.
CMOG is the Army’s arm in conducting non-combat activities engaging civil communities and organizations. They are tapped by public schools for their maintenance programs particularly in electrical, carpentry and construction works.
It also responds in disaster relief operations, medical and dental missions, livelihood projects and trainings and other community outreach programs.
