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 We had been given the privileged to meet one of the Marawi Siege Liberators and the Combat Commander of the Special Action Force during the almost 6-month war against the Islamic militants in the person of PCOL Rex Arvin Malimban, one of the excellent officers who have been recommended for a medal of valor, the highest medal and military honor[1] awarded to an officer who has performed an act of extreme courage while consciously facing imminent peril. PCOL Rex Arvin Malimban is a member of PNPA Class of 1998 and is currently positioned now as the Camp Commander of the Philiopine National Police Academy.

 

PCOL Malimban shared with us his experiences and leadership tactics during the siege in Marawi. As the Combat Commander during the warfare, he shared his leadership lessons and the importance of the quad concept especially the interoperability between agencies and other friendly support units coming from different branches of service.[2] He gave emphasis to his strategies such as designating his men in accordance with their capabilities and specialized skills which for him was a great factor in their attainment of the mission.

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For me, the significant takeaway that I have gained during our session with PCOL Malimban was to give value to the planning stage of a certain incident or warfare. Planning and creating strategies and tactics are the most crucial and essential parts of an incident since it is the course of actions to be taken in order to achieve a certain goal or objective. Also, as the commander, we should improve our capabilities in innovating means and plan of action depending on the situation of the incident. We should know how to think critically and formulate ideas that could be a major factor in the accomplishment of the mission. The incident that happened in Marawi is a good illustration of wherein the Incident Command System is really essential, especially during unforeseeable events that could possibly happen. It could minimize casualties and exhibit preparedness during a certain incident or warfare. Hence, as law enforcers and soon-to-be commanders leading our men in the field, we should apply all our learnings regarding the incident command system and give value and importance to the planning stage before taking up any course of action during an event or incident.

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