Under the sterling leadership of Maj. Gen. Steve Crespillo, the Western Mindanao Command continuously gained grounds in the campaign against terrorism and insurgency in the western, central and southern parts of Mindanao.
The Joint Task Forces under the Western Mindanao Command gained several accomplishments with their sustained combat, intelligence and civil-military operations to disarm and weaken the various threat groups and eventually pave the way for internal security and developments in their respective areas of operation.
From September 5 to November 2, 2023, a total of 61 local terrorist group (LTG) personalities were neutralized through the conduct of decisive military operations. Of the number, 26 were remnants of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), 15 were members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and 20 were remnants of the Daulah Islamiyah (DI).
Fifty-eight of the 61 neutralized personalities voluntarily surrendered, while three were killed during armed confrontations with the government forces. These neutralizations yielded 56 firearms gain, of which 24 were from the ASG; 15 from the BIFF and 17 from the DI.
“The close and effective collaboration between security forces and local government units, intensified military operations, and non-combat operations yielded positive results as manifested in the influx of LTG surrenders,” Crespillo said.
The Joint Task Forces ZamPeLan and Central intensified their operations to contain the communist terrorist group (CTG) remnants in Zamboanga Peninsula, Misamis Occidental and Central Mindanao.
During the stint of Maj. Gen. Crespillo, a total of 44 CTG personalities were neutralized and 18 firearms were seized.
Three of the neutralized personalities were High-Value Individuals (HVIs), including Roger Zambrano, a.k.a. Tress, the Commanding Officer of Gilbey’s Platoon, Regional Operations Command of the Far South Mindanao Region (ROC, FSMR). Tress was killed in an armed confrontation last October 11.
“The CTG’s component has been severely weakened, especially the Guerilla Front Sendong operating in Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga Peninsula. The current threat is significantly reduced, thus, the CTG in our area of operation can be considered on the brink of collapse,” Crespillo added.
Further, the command supported a total of 57 law enforcement operations, including 22 anti-illegal logging, 20 anti-illegal fishing, four anti-smuggling, two anti-human trafficking and nine maritime patrols initiated by partner agencies.
“Though it was quite brief, it was worthwhile to lead the Western Mindanao Command in achieving outstanding accomplishments, learning valuable lessons, and gaining treasured experiences. I would like to extend my gratitude to our partners in accomplishing our mission, the local government units, other security agencies, peace-inclined groups (the MNLF and MILF), our stakeholders, and the peace-loving citizens for their trust and support,” the outgoing WestMinCom Commander concluded.