CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac City – The “pride of Pampanga,” General Ricardo A. David Jr. newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will hold his first visit here as AFP chief to lead and formally turn-over his previous post to incoming AFP-Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) Major Gen. Gaudencio S. Pangilinan at the Nolcom headquarters here.

David, who hails from San Fernando, Pampanga, was Nolcom commander before he assumed Friday the country’s highest military post.

The Nolcom change of command was expected to gather all military officers and personnel and was scheduled at 10 a.m., according to Nolcom spokesperson Major Rosendo D. Armas.

Armas said in his previous post as Nolcom commander, David achieved an unprecedented performance level for the period Jun 16, 2009 to June 9, 2010.

David was cited for significant accomplishments in the conduct of TRIAD activities, such as the realization of its goals within the specified timeline, decline in enemy strength, and disintegration of enemy armed formations, as well as gave a promising picture on the government’s campaign to render the communist-terrorists inconsequential by the end of CY 2010.

The enormous pressure that Nolcom exerted against the enemy, through the Command’s relentless combat and tactical offensives in the AOR, proved to have stifled the insurgents' ability to sow terror in the area, thereby creating a more secure environment conducive to national development, Armas said.

Armas, in exclusive interview, said the Command satisfactorily carried out its tasks and achieved its objectives, through the efficient use of resources and effective management of the whole organization, thereby allowing it to accomplish its mission.

Nolcom reported that 16 killed, two wounded, 170 voluntarily surrendered, and 16 apprehended/captured for the period, severely draining their pool of regular and auxiliary members and drastically weakening their organizational clout. The Command also significantly reduced the enemy’s ability to wage an armed struggle by the recovery of 98 high-powered firearms and 28 low-powered firearms, 27 discovery of enemy camps, and discovery of several arm caches.

The degradation in enemy strength and firearms was also complemented by the clearing of 60 affected barangays and the neutralization of two CTM sectoral organizations through SOT-RA, SOT-WA and CMO activities.

The holistic and dynamic approach of the current campaign strategy not only yielded excellent results but was also favorably accepted by the different sectors of society, Armas said.

He added that various sectors’ cooperation, involvement and active support were identified as key components to the counter-insurgency campaign, particularly in effectively addressing the roots of insurgency and countering the enemy’s propaganda efforts. “That is why CMO activities of the Command were primarily geared towards harnessing the capabilities of other stakeholders, simultaneously addressing the insurgency in remote and urban areas, spear-tipped by the timely delivery of basic services in line with government high impact development programs.”

The ISO TRIAD offensives, guided by Campaign Plan “Amihan,” remains the vital component in the Command’s approach in taming the insurgency problem. The framework of Campaign Plan “Amiha,” however, was enhanced by the newly-conceptualized Handover Concept, which is a convergence tool that incorporates the NISP’s strategic line of holistic approach, in order to improve its effectiveness against the enemy. Disintegration of the enemy’s politico-military organization and the waning influence of guerrilla fronts in the AOR, particularly in Central Luzon, proved that the current approach had been effective.