The Western Mindanao Command kicked off a two-day International Committee on Red Cross (ICRC) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Training of Trainers at the unit headquarters at Camp Navarro, Calarian, Zamboanga City, on June 19, 2024.
According to WestMinCom Commander, Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, the purpose of the training is to allow the participants to appreciate the role and mandate of the ICRC in the mission accomplishment of the operational and tactical commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Lt. Gen. Gonzales added that the activity will increase collaboration between the AFP and the ICRC in integrating IHL and Human Rights (HRs) in the AFP systems and processes.
Among the participants of the training are the Civil-Military Operations Officers of the joint task forces, brigades, battalions, and OpCom units of WestMinCom.
Subject Matter Experts were invited to acquaint the participants with the role and mandate of the ICRC and collectively define the areas of collaboration.
The kick-off activity of the two-day training was graced by the presence of the ICRC Team led by Ms. Rim Hajji, the Head of Sub Delegation, ICRC Cotabato, and Col. Emmanuel Cabasan, the Chief of Unified Command Staff of WestMinCom.
In his remarks, Col. Cabasan acknowledged the efforts of the Office of the Assistant Chief of Unified Command Staff for Civil-Military Operations, led by Col. Rey Pasco, and the ICRC Team for facilitating the conduct of the two-day training or trainers.
