Army’s 6th ID has new commander

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, now fulltime chief of the military’s Western Mindanao Command based in Zamboanga City, relinquished his post to a successor on Saturday, January 25.

Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete turned over the leadership of 6th ID to Brig. Gen Donald Gumiran in the presence of the commander of the Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, during a symbolic rite at Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. 

The event was witnessed by senior officials of Army and police units based in provinces and cities in the adjoining Region 12 and  the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Gumiran was the commanding officer of the 602nd Infantry Brigade prior to his assumption on Saturday as new commander of 6th ID.

Galido, in a message, urged Gumiran to sustain the peacebuilding programs of Nafarrete, who, along with local executives, secured the surrender via backchannel dialogues of more than 400 members of the outlawed Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in recent months.

Nafarette and Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr. also together launched in Central Mindanao in July last year the Small Arms and Light Weapons Management Program.

The SALW Management Program, a regional disarmament campaign complementing Malacañang’s peace overture with the local Moro communities, is being implemented in Central Mindanao by units of 6th ID.

Units of 6th ID had, in the past six months, collected 621 combat weapons, consisting M14 and M16 assault rifles, M60 and .30 caliber machineguns, anti-tank rocket and grenade launchers, shotguns and pistols voluntarily turned in by Central Mindanao residents in support of the SALW Management Program.

Galido said he is confident that Nafarrete and Gumiran can efficiently manage the multi-sector peacebuilding and tactical security activities of the WestMinCom and the 6th ID, respectively.

Gumiran told reporters after the turnover ceremony that besides continuing the peacebuilding projects started by Nafarette and all 6th ID commanders who had led the division before him, he shall also focus on measures needed to ensure peaceful, clean and honest elections in May 2025 in all provinces and cities inside the division’s area of responsibility.

Gumiran had, while at the helm of 6th ID’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, settled amicably with the help of local officials 34 deadly clan wars in different towns in Cotabato province.