Army chief meeting with ground commanders part of loyalty check?

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Army commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino met here yesterday with his ground commanders in Western Mindanao, amid reports that he was conducting a loyalty check.

Maj. Eugene Batara, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information chief, said the meeting was not a loyalty check but an annual assessment being conducted by the higher headquarters.

"It has nothing to do with what are being perceived as loyalty check," he said. "The commanders and soldiers are just too busy to entertain any political related issue. Besides, the AFP is apolitical."

The dialogue between Tolentino and ground commanders aims to improve operational strategy to defeat threats of terrorism and insurgency, he added.

Batara said Westmincom is also planning to include Marine commanders in Sulu in the meeting since they have similar operational directives with the Army.

The symposium would help the military commanders in Sulu to beat the Christmas deadline to get Asia’s most wanted terrorist, Dulmatin; Jemaah Islamiyah bomber, Umar Patek; and Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffi Janjalani, he added.

Batara said military forces continue to mass up in Sulu, dismissing reports that the terrorists leaders have reportedly pierced through the military dragnet.

"As of now the targets are still in Sulu that is why troops continued to mass up with the standing directive of AFP chief to get the high value targets before Christmas," he said.

Unconfirmed reports have been circulated that Janjalani has joined Dulmatin and Patek in Sultan Kudarat province. - Roel Pareño