Candidates no more, now-IP Soldiers

CGMTY Sr., Mawab, CVP - 300 Candidate Soldiers (CS) finally graduated from their 8-weeks Basic Military Training. Graduation Ceremony was held at Sgt Demerin Grandstand, H10ID, Barangay Tuboran, Mawab, Compostela Valley Province on December 17, 2017.

On October 17, 2017, it was a leap for these CS-IP from being civilian and a start of a regimented life as trainees and successfully finished with determination, commitment and hope that they will become part of Nation-building effort in order to achieve peace and sustainable development not only in their communities but all of 10ID’s AOR.

With HPA Directive regarding 300 CS-IP quota, the 10ID Command is fortunate to have given quota to become soldiers. The potential of IPs will be seen in a different perspective. In this way, they can maximize the skills and knowledge acquired during the training in solving the issues or problems in their communities.

They will be organized into four (4) Sundalo ng Mamamayan, ARmado laban sa Terorismo at kriminalidad (SMART) Companies and to be assigned in the areas near their localities.

Major General Noel S Clement, Commander 10ID said, “These IP companies will be augmented by officers and enlisted personnel preferably IP or at least from the same province who know the customs and tradition in the area. For purposes of distinction, the companies will be called SMART companies. It means that an IP SMART Company is capable of multi-role such as doing civil-military work while very much ready to use force when necessary.”

IP in the ancestral domain areas are very prone to agitation, and recruitment because of their innocence about true picture of NPA real intentions. As such, there is a need to educate and inform the IP communities about the propaganda, deception and the motives of the Communists in their Ancestral Domain.

The most qualified to do the task of informing the IP communities about the real motive of the CPP-NPA-NDF are he IP themselves who are already in the government. In the AFP organization, those IP Officers and Enlisted personnel are assessed to be the effective and efficient individuals to do the task (CSP) because they know the culture, practices, customs and traditions and the language/dialect.

“They have graduated today as soldiers and I advised them not to forget but keep up the culture and tradition of their tribe because they have achieved self-determination and have become model in their communities,“ Clement added.

During the ceremony, by deepest appreciation of the tribal leaders that finally the IPs were heard and the realization of their hopes are at hand, a Resolution was made by the Supreme Tribal Council for Peace and Development (STCPD) adopting Major General Noel S Clement as one of their tribe members and was given a title of a “Datu” or leader and a name of “Balunto” or rainbow that signifies hope. The tribal council and all of its members considered MGen Clement a leader that brings hope.


Source: Division Public Affairs Office, 10th Infantry Division, PA