CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 23 October) – Retired Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio of the Philippine Marines passed away Monday dawn due to a lingering illness in Taguig, Rizal, a family member said.
He was 73.
His son Jun told MindaNews that Teodosio had been battling lymphoma cancer.
The tough-talking general became famous when he lead the First Marine Brigade in taking back the town of Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte, which was overran by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in March 2000.
Visiting Kauswagan town after it was recaptured by the Marines, former President Joseph Estrada declared an all-out war against the MILF that left half a million people homeless in evacuation centers in certain parts of Mindanao.
Teodosio, a graduate of Philippine Military Academy Class 1972, and his Marine brigade was ordered to the town of Balabagan in Lanao del Sur to assault Camp Abubakar in nearby Maguindanao, then the largest camp and main headquarters of the MILF.
He and his troops also captured Camp Bushra, the MILF’s second largest camp, after three days of fighting in June 2000.
After the fall of Camp Abubakar, Teodosio was ordered to Sulu to go after the Abu Sayyaf Group, who was then holding hostages, including several foreigners.
Disgusted that his brigade was not supplied with trucks and tanks, Teodosio complained and was promptly relieved and sent back to Manila.
As Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief of Staff, Teodosio supervised the training of 1,500 Filipino soldiers by 300 US Special Forces under the US-RP Balikatan exercise in Basilan province and Zamboanga City in 2002.
Teodosio was also instrumental in dousing the coup attempt led by young military officers in what is known as the Oakwood mutiny Makati City in 2003 during the Arroyo administration.
He was later designated as commander of the AFP Visayas Command in Cebu in 2004. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
