Wescom chief sacked over Palawan raid

Armed Forces Western Command (Wescom) chief Rear Adm. Rodolfo Rabago was relieved yesterday allegedly because of the May 27 kidnapping of 20 guests and workers of the Dos Palmas island resort off Palawan.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva announced the relief after President Arroyo approved the transfer of five other senior unit commanders.

Philippine Military Academy (PMA) superintendent Maj. Gen. Manuel Carranza was designated new Wescom commander while Rabago was assigned commandant of the Command and General Staff College at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The CGSC position, previously occupied by Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Teodocio, is considered a "freezer" for senior military officials.

Also reassigned was Brig. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, commander of Army 1st Infantry Division, the primary unit tasked to go after the Abu Sayyaf on Basilan island and rescue their hostages. Replacing Dominguez will be Brig. Gen. Glicerio Sua.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Jaime de los Santos explained that Dominguez’s relief is part of a regular administrative rotation and had nothing to do with the operations against the Abu Sayyaf.

"This procedural rotation of officers is an enhancement measure, which allows the Army to neutralize effectively various security threat groups in the country," De los Santos said. "Brig. Gen. Sua was chosen to take the helm of the 1st Infantry Division because he is more familiar with the Western Mindanao territory," the Army chief said.

Dominguez was, in fact, given another division level command, the 8th Infantry, based in Northern Samar and a front-line unit versus the communist New People’s Army.

The 8th Infantry Division used to be commanded by Brig. Gen. Rufo de Veyra, who was reassigned to the PMA vice Carranza.

Carranza was supposed to have assumed his new Wescom post last week but the recent Typhoon Feria delayed his departure and the simple turnover rites which were held at the rained out Borromeo Field of Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City.

Villanueva, who attended the turnover rites before proceeding to Zamboanga City, admitted that the military operation against the Abu Sayyaf may be slow but he assured the people the operations will be successful in due time.–With Aurora Alambra, Artemio Dumlao