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6th Infantry Division
"Kampilan"

The 6th Infantry Division (Kampilan) traces its lineage to the 6th Infantry Brigade (Provisional), 4th Infantry Division, which was activated pursuant to General Order Number 201, Headquarters 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army dated 7 march 1973 in order to provide command and control for combat units in central Mindanao tasked with breaking the initial onslaught of the MILF uprising.

On 1 May 1974, the 6th Infantry Brigade (Provisional) was deactivated and redesignated as the 1st Infantry Brigade, 3rd Infantry division. It was this unit, with the other units in Mindanao, which took the brunt of the MILF rebellion at the close of 1970s.

On 1 May 1986, the 1st Infantry Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division was deactivated and the 12th Infantry Brigade (Separate) was activated to take its place. On 24 october 1987, the 12th infantry brigade (Separate) was upgraded to a regular division and subsequently designated as the 6th Infantry Division pursuant to General Order Number 616, General Headquarters, dated 19 november 1987.

In 1995 the 6th Infantry Division became engaged with other elements of the Philippine Army in what became known as the Battle of Malmar (also written Mal-Mar) complex in Carmen, wherein the command was tasked to secure the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project (MMIP), a government flagship development project. Strong opposition from MILF rebels led to a 23 day exchange resulting in 5 rebels neutralized and the recovery of weapons. The operations was seen as a success and led to the eventual completion of the MMIP.

Between 1995 and 1996 the Battle of Reina Regente occurred. MILF rebels had launched various attacks on government forces in the area in order to secure Camp Didagen, a heavily fortified base camp. Elements of the 6th Infantry Division counter-attacked resulting in the destruction of the base camp.

Another fierce 10-day gun battle between the government troops and the MILF started on 16 january 1997 in the barangays of Kabuayan and Garigayan, in Buldon, Maguindanao, resulting in 33 rebels neutralized and the recovery of weapons and equipment.

Another operation by the Division against a MILF enemny base camp, referred to as the Battle of Raja Muda was conducted between 16 and 27 June 1997. The army operating troops, equipped with armored vehicles and artillery assets, and reinforced with a squadron of helicopter gun ships, proved to be too much for the enemy. The MILF rebels suffered an estimated 245 killed.

The operation was followed by a MILF suicide attack on the 6th Infantry Division Headquarters, which was repulsed. Between October and November 1998 armed skirmishes between the government troops and the MILF continued along the municipalities of Shariff Aguak, Datu Piang and Talayan, in Maguindanao Province. The enemy, in spite of a ceasefire agreement, continuously attacked military positions along the MSR to include the setting up of road blocks and taking civilians hostage. Such actions increased when the MILF leadership adopted the position of establishing an Islamic state in Mindanao.

In response, as part of SOUTHCOM's contingency plan Sovereign Shield, the 6th Infantry Division command formulated operational plans called Temperance and Fortitude. The 6th Infantry Division also engaged in the Battle of the Nabalawag Mountains in Midsayap, Cotabato, where the MILF had been in control. On 23 August 1999 they where soundly beaten in a bitter conflict by troops of the Division.

From 15 to 21 February 2000, following the series of MILF attacks, the 6th Infantry Division command implemented operation plan Valiancy in the areas of Shariff Aguak, Datu Piang, and Talayan Complex, resulting to the seizure of the MILF's Camp Omar complex and MILF satellite camps within its vicinity. Between 15 and 21 march 2000, the Division engaged on operation plan Audacity in the Carmen-Banisilan complex, clearing the MILF's Camp Usman. Operation plan Dominance, with the intention of clearing the Narciso Ramos Highway in order to restore government control and bring peace and development in the area of operations, was launched on 29 April 2000, ending on 3 June 2000. The fall of the MILF's main camp, Camp Abubakar paved the way for development and control of the government in the area.

With the guidance from COMSOUTHCOM regarding the conduct of a SOUTCOM operation along the boundary between Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Bukidnon and Cotabato provinces, the 6th Infantry Division command launched operation plan Constrictor with the objective of conducting operations at the northern part of its area of responsibility in order to compliment the operations conducted by other divisions. The capture of Camp Abubakar and other MILF camps, major and minor, had forced them to splinter into smaller groups. This did not stop their operations.

At the onset of 2003, in the 6th Infantry Division command's effort to destroy the rebels once and for all, particularly Alonto Tahir, and apprehend the leader of the notorious Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom group operating in the AOR, a series of offensive operations in the boundary area between Columbio, Sultan Kudarat; Tulunan, Cotabato; and Datu Paglas, maguindanao, were launched.

On 10 january 2003, General Headquarters, Armed Forces of the Philippines issued Operational Directive 09-2002 directing SOUTHCOM to conduct offensive military operations against known rebel havens, training camps and support bases in central Mindanao. To implement this directive, the 6th Infantry Division launched operation plan Alab Lahi, with the objective of conducting pursuit operations against Tahir rebels groups and wanted criminals in the Liguasan Marsh and to destroy their sanctuaries in those areas.

The clearing, capture and control of Buliok and its surrounding areas, used by rebels as safe haven, training ground and logistic base led to the restoration of the local government control and authority. It also confirmed reports that MILF elements were supporting these terrorists, as they provided the resistance, including counter-attacks against the operating troops.

Continued attacks by the MILF resulted in a President Gloria Arroyo personally directed the Armed Forces the Philippines to conduct punitive operations in response. In compliance with the directive, the 6th Infantry Division command launched operation plan Tag-Unos, aimed at destroying MILF and other rebel bases and neutralizing their top leaders in the vicinity of barangay Libungan Torreta, Pigcawayan, Cotabato. This was in order to prevent them from using the area as staging ground for actions in the municipalities of Midsayap, Libungan and Pigcawayan, in Cotabato. At the same time the operation had the objective of neutralizing the perpetrators of the Koronadal City bombing. The operation resulted to the recovery of h explosives and the discovery of a MILF camp along the Kabuntalan being used in the manufacture of bombs and other munitions.

In compliance with Operation Matrix, an Operation initiated by SOUTCOM, the 6th Infantry Division command formulated operation plan Kalasag, dated 7 July 2003, with the objective of neutralizing Abu Sayaff elements in the vicinity of Maculi point, barangay Ligua, Sultan Kudarat, and other areas in the 6th Infantry Division AOR.