From the rugged mountains of Basilan to the heart of the Marawi Siege, Brigadier General Elmer B. Suderio’s leadership has been instrumental in the battle against insurgency and terrorism.
As the Commander of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion in Basilan, then-Lieutenant Colonel Suderio successfully directed his troops in regaining critical hills and mountain positions long held by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). These areas, occupied by the ASG for over two decades, had posed a persistent challenge to the military, but Lieutenant Colonel Suderio’s strategic leadership, alongside his fellow officers under then-Brigadier General Rolando Joselito Bautista of the 104th Brigade in Basilan, led to significant peace gains in the province.
I had the privilege of witnessing all these events firsthand—observing Lieutenant Colonel Suderio’s leadership as he coordinated with his troops in the mountainous terrains of Basilan, reclaiming strategic points crucial for the relative peace the province is experiencing now.
BGEN Suderio’s role did not stop in Basilan. During the 2017 Marawi Siege, then-Colonel Suderio served as the chief operations officer in this intense urban warfare. At one point, I witnessed him directing officers to strategically fire at enemy positions through helicopters when they saw enemies on boats traversing a river. Brigadier General Suderio was one of the key officials responsible for coordinating military efforts to recapture Marawi City from the Maute Group, eventually leading to the city’s liberation.
Recently, Brigadier General Suderio received well-deserved recognition on behalf of his unit, the 102nd Brigade based in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, during the 6th anniversary celebration of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), held at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on December 6, 2024.
This honor came also in recognition of his leadership in the Joint Regional Task Force-ELCAC (JRTF-ELCAC) Region IX, which played a key role in dismantling the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC) of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). On November 27, 2024, the National Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (JPSCC) officially declared the WMRPC dismantled, marking the first time in over 50 years of counterinsurgency operations that a CPP-NPA regional formation had been completely eradicated.
Under Brigadier General Suderio’s command, the 102nd Infantry Brigade has become a symbol of peace and resilience in Region IX. His leadership, grounded in the Whole-of-Nation approach as introduced by Executive Order No. 70, proves how cooperation among military forces, local government units, and various sectors of society can effectively address insurgency. The success in dismantling the CPP-NPA’s regional operations has time and again proven the approach’s effectiveness in countering insurgency and terrorism in the country.
The recognition Brigadier General Suderio received at the NTF-ELCAC anniversary is but one milestone in his long-standing reputation as a peace warrior. His leadership has not only earned him the respect of his peers but have contributed to the nation’s pursuit of lasting peace.
