THE 10TH Infantry Division clarified on Wednesday that members of public and private companies affiliated with Army reservist units are only utilized during disasters and other contingencies.
Responding to inquiries about Army reservists assigned to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound, Major Ruben Gadut, the 10th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office chief, explained, “Under the Eastern Mindanao Command, we have affiliated reservist units, which include those from the Philippine Army, Airforce, and Navy.
“In the Army, we have Philippine Army-affiliated reserve units. These are private companies, corporations, or even government agencies that want to be affiliated with our reserve units. We do this with the approval of the Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary through a memorandum of agreement. These entities can provide utilities and services that we can utilize during national or local crises, including major disasters, similar to what happened in Masara, Davao de Oro, and the Caraga region,” Gadut explained during yesterday’s Davao Peace and Security press briefing.
He mentioned that SMNI has 173 affiliated reservists and UMBN has 186. “As they are affiliated with the Army reserve units, they must conform to the law and the memorandum of agreement.”
“These reservists undergo military orientation training, not full military training,” Gadut clarified. “What you see on social media is just military orientation training. The subjects and duration are limited compared to actual military training. However, we can utilize their facilities and services during national and local crises, including disasters.”
He also mentioned other reservists in the Army from various public and private utilities, emphasizing that they are only affiliated and provide services to the Army.
“We will use their facilities, not for warfare,” he assured. “They are not armed. These are affiliated reservist units, different from those undergoing ROTC.”
He clarified that he wasn’t sure if they wear uniforms, but their serial numbers start with “A,” unlike in the military, where they start with “O” followed by a number.
Furthermore, he reiterated that these Army-affiliated reservists only provide services during disasters and other contingencies.
“If there’s a war, considered a national crisis, we can only use their services and utilities, not for warfare, as they don’t have war-fighting skills,” he further said.
Photo by Rhoda Grace Saron
