New Southern Luzon Command chief vows human rights respect

LUCENA CITY—Maj. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, the new commander of the military’s Southern Luzon Command (Solcom), has vowed to observe and uphold human rights at all times as he starts to lead government troops in the Southern Tagalog and Bicol regions.

In his speech during the change of command ceremony held here in Camp Nakar, Visaya, former commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro City, addressed his pledge of promoting human rights to the militant rights watchdog Karapatan, or the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights.

“To my friends from Karapatan, please take note, I will observe and uphold human rights,” Visaya said in his speech.

But Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, scoffed at Visaya’s human rights pledge.

“The assignment of Maj. Gen. Ricardo Visaya as commanding general of the Southern Luzon Command spells terror for the people of the Southern Tagalog and Bicol regions,” Palabay said when the Inquirer sought her reaction.

Palabay called Visaya a “rabid implementor” of the military’s counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya.

Visaya vowed to the civilian sector—local officials and businessmen—that Solcom would remain their partner in the pursuit of the government’s peace and development programs.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Matikas” Class of 1983, Visaya replaced Maj. Gen. Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo as Solcom head.

Ordoyo, a member of PMA Class 1980, had served as Solcom chief starting May last year.

The change of command was presided over by Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang.

Catapang called on members of the military’s peace and development teams in remote areas to help identify infrastructure needed in these areas, like roads, bridges, schools and hospitals.

He said funds for the projects would come from the multibillion-peso “grass-roots participatory budget.”