Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Oban has ordered the relief of two senior military officials due to what he described as “serious lapses" that led into last Monday’s attacks by New People's Army rebels on three large mining firms in Surigao del Norte, resulting in P3-billion loss in damaged equipment.
“Definitely, we see serious lapses on the ground. That’s why I have directed the relief of the brigade commander, including the deputy brigade commander who happens to be the task group commander," Oban told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo.
Also, Oban said its up to the Army leadership to decide where to assign the two sacked officers.
Relieved were 402nd Brigade commander Col. Rodrigo Diapana and his deputy and concurrent Task Force Stingray commander Col. Cresente Maligmat.
Diapana was replaced by Col. James Jacob, the chief of staff of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, while Maligmat was succeeded by Col. Victor Jalan, the 4th ID’s adjutant.
The AFP chief did not elaborate on the lapses committed by Diapana and his deputy, saying: “We will have to wait for the investigation report but the fact remains that it happened in (their) area of responsibility."
Oban implied that the two are being faulted for failing to respond swiftly when some 200 insurgents launched the attacks at Taganito Mining Company, its sister firm THPAL, and Platinum Group Metal Corp, all in Claver town.
“We need a lot of things to do in terms of quick response," said Oban, adding that it’s a standard operating procedure for the military establishment to conduct an investigation “after a particular incident."
Sacking of 3 PNP officials
Last Tuesday, Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome ordered the sacking of three ranking police officials in Surigao del Norte a day after the attacks.
Relieved were were Senior Superintendent Emmanuel Talento, head of the Surigao del Norte police; Superintendent Rudy Cuyop, public safety battalion commander in the area; and Senior Inspector Diomedes Cuadra, chief of police in Claver town where the mining sites were located.
Also on Tuesday, President Benigno Aquino III ordered security officials to conduct a nationwide threat assessment following Monday’s attacks.
Aquino also condemned the "atrocities" by the communist rebels.
NPA rebels torched 10 dump trucks, eight backhoes, two barges and a guest house during the attacks.
According to military sources, the rebels first attacked the Taganito Mining Corp at Taganito village in Claver town around 9 a.m. Twenty minutes later, they turned to the 4K Mining at Cadiano village, also in Claver. At around 12:30 p.m., a separate NPA group raided the THPAL Mining, near the compound of the Taganito Mining Corp., its sister company.
The attack prompted Nickel Asia Corp., the Philippines' largest nickel producer, to suspend mining operations and nickel ore loading activities at its Taganito Mining Corp unit. — LBG
