Army’s 2ID chief calls for 'alliance-building' to achieve peace

New Army’s 2ID chief calls for 'alliance-building' to achieve peace

CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal – The new commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division (2ID) underscored the need for alliance-building among concerned government agencies and stakeholders to achieve genuine peace and sustain progress.

Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos made this call as he took over as the 39th commander of the Army’s 2ID during the change of command ceremony led by Army commanding general, Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto here on Friday (July 12).

“To the men and women of 2ID, fellow Filipino soldiers and public servants, the needs during this time and the global trend are shifting and changing from unilateral to being global, from isolationism to alliance-building,” Burgos stressed.

Burgos, former spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and commander of the Army’s 202nd Infantry Brigade (202IB), succeeded Brig. Gen. Elias H. Escarcha who served in acting capacity for 70 days.

A member of PMA “Maringal” Class of 1988, Burgos commended the “professional soldiers, neat and decent army” who continue to touch lives while advocating peace.

“Gone are the days when people are mesmerized only by war stories and body counts. They are now heroes, who have touched lives, build communities and advocate for peace. Gone are the days when people are attracted by the soldier’s mysterious silence, because now they prefer interaction and transparency from the people whom they have sworn to serve, even at the cost of their precious lives,” he said.

He urged members of 2ID to always give their best in serving the people with the help of other government institutions.

“Down the line, across all units, everyone is expected to perform above and beyond the standards, because the people, whom we have sworn to serve, deserve nothing but our best,” Burgos said.

He said President Rodrigo Duterte’s creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflicts (NTF-ELCAC) will boost the government efforts to address insurgency.

“We expect all instruments of the government to coordinate and collaborate, since security is a shared responsibility, including the people’s cooperation,” he said, adding insurgency can never be solved using military solution alone.

“We will serve as the bridge so that social services would be felt not only in the far-flung areas but also among the majority, if not all of our constituents,” he added.

Burgos assured “the buck will stop with me” as he begins his new assignment covering Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) as well as Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon.

For the Task Force Katagalugan (Southern Tagalog), Burgos wants the 2ID units to work in close coordination with partner agencies and multi-sectors acting as “a single team working towards a common goal.”

“Today after defeating the enemy, we are now in the position to deliver the coup d’ grace so that the genuine lasting peace will be finally attained,” he said.

He thanked Duterte, the commander-in-chief, “for his unwavering trust and confidence in entrusting upon my shoulders enormous challenge in securing the areas in the immediate south of our duly constituted government’s seat of power.”

Burgos assured 2ID will continue to serve as active partner of Regional Task Forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC).

Calabarzon’s RTF-ELCAC is the first to be organized in the country with 2ID as the pioneering Army unit to implement the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) in Luzon and Visayas since August 2018.

Alberto, meanwhile, commended Burgos for the “excellent job that he did as Brigade Commander, this, I expect nothing but excellence from him now that he is already a division commander.” (PNA)