The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) relieved effective Friday its two Army commanders in Maguindanao to give way for an impartial and transparent investigation of the Maguindanao massacre amid allegations being hurled against the two officers.

“For the greater interest of the people, the AFP is relieving the Army’s 6th ID Commander, Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, and the 601st Brigade Commander, Col. Medardo Geslani, . . . to pave way for an impartial and transparent investigation on the Maguindanao massacre,” said military spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Jr.

Brawner said Brig. Gen. Pompeo Limbo, 6th ID deputy commander and Col. Pablo Amisola, 601st Brigade Commander, will temporarily take over the posts of Cayton and Geslani, respectively.

“Right now the Army Board of Generals is proposing their replacement to the AFP’s general headquarters and as yet, the OICs will be taking over. While no officer has yet been named to replace them permanently or on a temporary basis, their deputy commanders will take over,” Brawner said.

Asked why the relief came only Friday, Brawner said this is because the AFP could not change the commanders in the middle of an ongoing operation.

“If you will remember our troops were ordered to occupy the Capitol of Maguindanao and the municipal halls of Shariff Aguak and Ampatuan. And these commanders, Gen. Cayton and Col. Geslani, were the commanders who implemented that order.”

Brawner said the two commanders were the ones who led the operations to secure the Maguindanao capitol and the two municipal halls.

“In fact dun sa diyaryo nga makikita ninyo na si Col. Geslani mismo yun pumunta dun sa bahay ni Mayor Datu Unsay Ampatuan at siya mismo yung nag-escort dito papunta dun sa helicopters,” he added.

Brawner said while the two officers will be investigated, it does not mean that they are also suspects in the massacre.

“You could either be a suspect or a witness to the crime. In this case they could even shed light as to the perpetrators of the crime. So we are not saying outright that they are guilty and that they are suspects,” he said.

He also emphasized that unlike in the case of the police officers whose names came out when the witnesses said they were actually in the crime scene, Cayton and Geslani are not suspects. “Definitely they are not suspects. But then because there are complaints on their alleged lapses on their decision  perhaps, or in their inaction, so we have to investigate also on this matter,” Brawner said.

Among the charges being hurled against the two was their alleged failure to act on a request for security by some of the journalists who were among those killed in the Maguindanao massacre.

According to reports, some of the reporters made a call to the Army commanders to ask for security as they cover Genalyn Mangudadatu, who was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband, Buluan Vice Mayor Datu Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu, who will be seeking the gubernatorial post in the 2010 elections.

The request, however, was reportedly not acted upon.

Brawner said the two officers were relieved to erase from the minds of the people any doubt as to the investigation that the AFP will be doing.

Brawner said both Army officials also welcome the investigation, saying this will give them the chance to air their side.