AFP to rebuild war-torn areas

The Armed Forces has activated a new unit called the National Development Command that is tasked to rebuild areas affected by hostilities between government forces and threat groups, a military spokesman announced Friday. The new unit, which will have supervision over the military's Corps of Engineers, would be headed by Maj. Gen. Jaime Buenaflor, said AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro. Buenaflor is the outgoing AFP deputy chief of staff for civil military operations. "[It] will undertake infrastructure projects as directed by the national leadership in support of national development to transform conflict-affected communities into peace and development areas through accelerated [village]-focused rehabilitation and development," said Bacarro. Bacarro said the creation of the Camp Aguinaldo-based unit is in support to the government's medium term development plan agenda of ending all hostilities by 2010. He could not say how the projects of the new command would be funded. "The National Development Command will be orchestrating all of our efforts on CMO (civil military operations) not only in terms of engineering but also on other components of CMO," Bacarro said. Bacarro said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo approved the creation of the new unit. ] “This will be a regular command [and] we are in the process of organizing it as of now," he said. Bacarro said Buenaflor “suits well to the task of overseeing the AFP’s involvement in the developmental activities." Apart from being the military CMO officer, Buenaflor also served as the Army’s assistance chief of staff for CMO and AFP civil relations service chief. Isafp chief goes to Army’s 2nd ID At the same time, Bacarro announced the appointment of Intelligence Service of the AFP (Isafp) chief Maj. Gen. Delfin Bangit as the new chief of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division. Bangit is perceived to be a loyal general of Mrs Arroyo and once served as chief of her Presidential Security Group. Bangit will replace Maj. Gen. Ferdinand Mesa who had been earlier designated as the new commander of the National Capital Region Command. Succeeding Bangit as Isafp chief is Brig. Gen. Arsenio Arugay, commander of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division. The military described Arugay as a “seasoned combat and intelligence officer." Bacarro also announced the appointments also approved by the President. They are: *AFP internal auditor AFP Maj. Gen. Jeffery Sodusta, the new commander of 9th ID *Army chief of staff Maj. Gen. Melchor Dilodilo, as new commander of 5th ID, taking over Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang, who was earlier named chief of the Northern Luzon Command. *Army internal auditor Brig. Gen. Rolando Detabali as new AFP internal auditor *Camp Aguinaldo camp commander Brig. Gen. Alfredo Cayton as the new AFP deputy chief of staff for civil military operations *Philippine Military Academy commandant of cadets Brig. Gen. Ralph Villanueva as the new Army chief of staff *Naval Construction Brigade chief Commodore Rafael Dacanay as the new chief of the AFP Real Estate Office *101st Brigade chief Col. Ireneo Espino as the new Camp Aguinaldo camp commander *505th Air Rescue Squadron chief Col. Antonio Bautista as new AFP Adjutant General, vice Commodore Paterno Labiano who is due for retirement *302nd Brigade chief Col. Jesse Dellosa as the new PMA commandant of cadets *NCR command deputy chief Col. Romulo Bambao as the new commander of the 101st Brigade *Army assistant chief of staff for operations Col. Cesar Yano as the new commander of the 302nd Brigade. He is the younger brother of newly-installed Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano. *303rd Brigade chief Col. Romeo Fajardo as the new deputy chief of the NCR Command. - GMANews.TV