New 6th Infantry Division commander assumes post

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao del Norte — A new commander of the Army’s largest division in the country assumed Friday, replacing a predecessor who just got to the helm of the Western Mindanao Command.

Major Gen. Alex Rillera took over from the now WestMinCom chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido in a turnover rite here officiated by the commander of the Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.

Galido was commander of the 6th ID from August 2022 until he took over WestMinCom’s highest post this week.

Rillera told reporters he will sustain the peacebuilding projects of his predecessors, particularly in securing the surrender and reintroduction into mainstream society of New People’s Army guerillas and members of local terrorists groups inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

“I’m confident the new division commander, Gen. Rillera, will do better than us, who led the 6th ID before him,” Galido said.

Galido and Rillera had separately assured of their support, as 6th ID and WestMinCom commander, respectively, to the peace programs of the Bangsamoro government and Malacañang that aims to put diplomatic closure to the “Moro issue” hounding Mindanao since the 1970s.

Units of the 6th ID and local government officials in central Mindanao had, since 2017, secured the surrender in batches of more than 400 members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and its allies, the Dawlah Islamiya and the Al-Khobar.

No fewer than 200 NPAs had also returned to the fold of law, through the intercession of the 6th ID and local executives, in the past 14 months.

The 6th ID covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Cotabato, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos.