Dela Vega is new commander of Western Mindanao Command

COTABATO CITY --- A peace advocate will assume on Wednesday as commander of the Western Mindanao Command covering provinces beset with security issues Malacañang istrying to resolve peacefully. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, who graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1985 and now outgoing commander of the Army’s 6thInfantry Division, is popular in central Mindanao for his involvement in multi-sectoral programs complementing Malacañang’s peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.He was also partly instrumental in the surrender in batches in recent weeks of 15 members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, operating in the fashion of the Islamic State and whose forces are scattered in central Mindanao’s adjoining Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato provinces.Dela Vega will take over WestMinCom’s highest post from Gen. Carlito Galvez, Jr., whom the president designated last month as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.Galvez was also at the helm of 6thID before he became WestMinCom commander in early 2017.During their respective stints at 6thID, Galvez and Dela Vega organized programs intended to generate public cooperation in pushing the southern peace process forward and in preventing the spread of violent religious extremists in central Mindanao.The first official diplomatic maneuver of Galvez after he got designated as 6thID commander in 2016 was to visit unescorted the leaders of the MILF in Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao and assured them of his full recognition of the group’s ceasefire accord with the government.Galvez also supported extensively the efforts of the office of Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu in settling deadly vendetta feuds among powerful clans in Maguindanao province.Dela Vega, while still a colonel and commander of the Army’s 603rdBrigade of 6thID, also succeeded in resolving amicably, along with mayors of predominantly-Iranun towns in Maguindanao, more than a dozen clan wars.The feat resulted in the collection of loose firearms turned in by protagonist groups after forging peace covenants.Officials of the MILF, which has an existing interim ceasefire accord with government ---- the July 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities ---- were elated with Galvez and Dela Vega now in the AFP General Headquarters and in WestMinCom, respectively. That would be good for the peace process because they both have experiences in activities promoting Muslim-Christian solidarity and in nurturing the gains of the peace initiatives of the government and the MILF, said a senior MILF official who asked not to be identified.Bobby Benito, a directorate staff in the Regional Reconciliation and Unification Commission-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said both Galvez and Dela Vega exercises restrain in addressing domestic security concerns that can stifle the southern peace process if mishandled. What we need in Mindanao are peace advocates like them, Benito said.Sources from the AFP said Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu, shall take over as 6thID commander after Dela Vega has assumed as chief of WestMinCom.Sobejana, a battle-hardened officer who was awarded with Medal of Valor for gallantry in combat, also has extensive experience in peace-building activities while still colonel and commander of the 601stBrigade in Sultan Kudarat province.Sobejana belong to Class 1987 of the PMA, the country’s premier military school.