By: Rahel U
Members of Marine Battalion Landing Team 5 (MBLT5) arrived at
Headquarters Philippine Navy on Tuesday
to conduct retraining and renovating program.
The arrival ceremony was welcomed by the troops led by the Navy Chief,
Vice Admiral Jesus C Millan.
MBLT5 were deployed in Sulu on 2004 under the
command of Major General and the present Commandant of the Philippine Marine
Corps (PMC) Lt. Col. Romeo T. Tanalgo. The unit arrived after spending almost 10
years in battling with rebels in
Mindanao.
The deployment was intended to enhance the AFP
units in Sulu to counteract the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Misuari Breakaway Group
in Sulu area. The troops had spent 7
years in Sulu and moved to Tawi-Tawi
province for 3 years. Presently, the troop is
under the Command of Lt. Col. Romel P Recinto.
MBLT5 troops have various noteworthy accomplishments including the creation of pro-people programs and
projects in promotion of health, welfare, education and improvement of the economic condition of civilian residents. The
troops also conducted medical, dental and engineering civic action programs
which helped thousands of residents.
When it comes to military operations, the troops
conducted several large scale/small scale combat missions and
intelligence/counter intelligence operations which caused to recovery of high
power weaponries and neutralization and seizure of foreign people by several
ASG members. The most significant
accomplishments that the troop had, was the surrender of three former ASG members
that turn into in the recovery of the cadaver of ASG Chieftain Khadaffy
Janjalani who was killed in Patikul wayback in September 2006.
For the period of the participation of
hostilities in Sabah Crisis, the unit detained 38 members of Kiram’s Royal
Sultanate Forces (RSF) and helped the return of 2,854 Filipino exiles affected
by the said crisis. The unit scored several apprehension against human
trafficking, illegal logging, smuggling and illegal fishing.
Source:Philippine Navy
Photo credit: Philippine Navy
