7th Infantry Battalion
7th Battalion Combat Team
"Tapat"
The mission of the 7th Infantry Battalion, "Tapat," is to conduct sustained internal security operations against anti-government groups in order to promote a secured environment conducive to development.
The 7th Infantry Battalion traces its lineage to the 7th Battalion Combat Team, first activated on 1 February 1950. Known as the "Nenita Unit," the 7th Battalion Comabt Team participated in the pacification campaigns against the Huks and other secessionists in the southern Philippines. After the success of the campaign against the Huks, the unit, like many others in the Philippine Army, was inactivated.
With the outbreak of a secessionist movement in Mindanao, the unit was was reactivated on 1 July 1973, as the 7th Infantry Battalion, pursuant to General Orders Number 33, General Headquarters, Armed Forces of the Philippines. The unit was quickly dispatched to Mindanao, reaching the shores of Mangal, Maluso, Basilan on 18 July 1973. The unit was placed under the operational control of South Western Command (SOWESCOM) and was directed to conduct combat operations and civic actions in Southern Basilan.
From Basilan the unit was transferred to Balabagan, Lanao del Sur on 15 October 1974, traveling by Philippine Navy LST. The unit was placed under the operational control of Central Mindanao Command (CEMCOM). As part of CEMCOM, the 7th Infantry Battalion participated in major operations in several mindanao provinces, including deployments in Cotabato in 1975, Maguindanao in 1976, and Sultan Kudarat in 1977.
The unit continued its operations until 21 September 1981 when the Battalion was redeployed from Upi, Maguindanao for retraining in Cebu City. The unit had spent 8 years participating in the Mindanao campaign. The unit's retraining in cebu was only halfway through when it was again alerted for deployment to Panay in response to the escalating insurgent activities there.
The retraining was completed at Camp Hernandez in Dingle, Iloilo and soon after, the unit was deployed for operations in Panay. A Company was detached and placed under the operational control of the provincial Philippine Constabulary command in Negros Occidental. With the deployment to Panay the 7th Infantry Battalion began operations in Visayas under the operational control of the 3rd Infantry Division. The Battalion continued its operations into 1982, capturing a major enemy camp and its occupants, as well as firearms in Maasin, Iloi.
On 7 November 1983, the Battalion moved to Negros Island to reinforce the Philippine Constabulary's Task Force Sugarland. There the 7th Infantry Battalion replaced the 51st PC Battalion and the 4th INP Long Range Patrol. The unit's AOR included the municipalities of Candoni, Hinoba-An, Ilog, Cauayan, Kabankalan and Sipalay, all in Negros Occidental. The unit remained deployed in the AOR for a decade, making it the longest deployment for the unit up to that date.
The unit's deployment to Negros took place during a challanging period in the insurgency there. A raid on A Company's headquarters in Brgy Caningay, Candoni, Negros Occidental on 18 April 1989 led to a punitive action called Operation Thunderbolt. Similar operations continued unitl April 1995 when the area was turned over the the control of the Philippine National Police.
On 20 April 1995, the unit left Bacolod City aboard a Philippine Navy LST for redeployment to Zamboanga del Sur. The unit arrived at Pagadian City Port on 24 April 1995. There the unit was placed under the operational control of the 1st Infantry Division and took over the AOR formerly held by the 55th Infantry Battalion. This covered the first and second districts of Zamboanga del Sur, popularly known as the Baganian Peninsula, consisting of 17 municipalities and one city, Tigbao, Dumalinao, Lakewood, Kumalarang, Guipos, San Pablo, San Miguel, Dinas, Dimataling, Tabina Pitogo, Magosatubig, Lapuyan, V. Sagun, Tukuran, Labangan, Aurora and Pagadian City. On 1 August 1995, the AOR was expanded to 21 municipalities with the inclusion of the town of Buug, Bayog, Diplahan and Malangas. On 6 November 1996 the unit's AOR was contracted to only 15 municipalities by order of 1st Infantry Division.
The 7th Infantry Battalion occupied its AOR in Zamboanga del Sur until 22 July 1996. On 23 July 1996, this unit conducted a relief in place with the 47th Infantry Battalion, redeploying to Panay Island. The Battalion arrived in Iloilo City on 2 August 1996 aboard a Philippine Navy LST lst 86 and moved to Tapaz, Capiz for unit retraining. The unit was located at Brgy Lagdungan, Tapaz, Capiz for the retraining.
The unit's retraining, its first in 13 years, was conducted between 14 August 1996 and 19 December 1996. Afterwards, on 18 February 1997, the unit was placed under the operational control of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and was tasked to conduct a relief in place with the 15th Infantry Battalion. After doing so the unit assumed responsibility for conducting internal security operations in Southern and Central Iloilo. The unit completed deployment to its new AOR on 24 February 1997, with the Battalion headquarters located at Camp Monteclaro, Miag-Ao. A Company was deployed in Brgy Barasan, Igbaras. B Company was deployed to Brgy Libot, Calinog. Lastly, C Company was deployed in Brgy Bagumbayan, Alimodian. The entire Battalion was located within Iloilo.
During 1997 a relatively stable internal security condition had developed and the unit was directed of the 302nd Infantry Brigade to undertake civil-military operations. On 28 April 1997, the Battalion headquarters was moved to Brgy Liñagan, Maasin, Iloilo. This was a product of a realignment of the AOR for the entire 3rd Infantry Division and saw A Company redeployed to Brgy Nagdayao, Sibalom, Antique, B Company moved to the new Battalion headquarters as the Battalion Ready Deployment Force, and C Company redeployed to Brgy Buga, Leon, Iloilo. In August 1999, the Battalion headquarters was transferred to Camp Monteclaro, Miagao, Iloilo. The Battalion's companies remained in their previous locations.
On 9 May 2000, the 7th Infantry Battalion received a alert order for deployment to the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) AOR to reinforce AFR forces engaged with the MILF. On the same day, the troops were airlifted by 3 Philippine Air Force C-130 aircraft from Iloilo Airport to Cagayan de Oro City. There the unit was placed under the operational control of the 4th Infantry Division, along with the 6th Infantry Battalion. The unit was further transported to an assembly area at the National Steel Corporation Compound in Iligan City.
On 12 May 2000, the 7th Infantry Battalion moved to Brgy Daguan, Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur to conduct a relief in place with the 78th Infantry Battalion, deployed to guard the Lanao del Sur-Maguindanao boundary. The main objective of the unit became securing the Narciso Ramos National Highway. On 17 May 2000, the unit was tasked to support the 1st Marine Brigade in the clearing of Narciso Ramos highway towards Langkong, Matanog, Maguindanao. During the operation, B Company encountered MILF bunkers and other defensive positions along the highway, suffering casualties before forcing the enemy to withdraw.
On 5 June 2000, the 7th Infantry Battalion was placed under the operational control of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, 6th Infantry Division. Under this command the unit led the successful seizure of MILF concentrations at Camp Darapanan and Camp Sampaguita in Dinaig, Maguindanao. On 8 June 2000, troops were diverted from operations in Parang, Maguindanao to reinforce the 38th Infantry Battalion after four barangays in Midsayap, North Cotabato were attacked by the MILF. For these operations the 7th Infantry Battalion was placed under the operational control of the 602nd Infantry Brigade. After helping repulse the enemy attack, the unit participated in the operation to capture Camp Rajamuda in North Pikit, Cotabato, the second largest MILF camp at the time.
On 26 June 2000, the 7th Infantry Battalion was returned to the operational control of the 603rd Infantry Brigade and redeployed to Brgy Minabay, Buldon, Maguindanao to participate in the operation to capture Camp Abubakar, at the time the MILF's main camp. The 7th Infantry Battalion acted in a supporting role in the first phase of the attack and as the main element in the second phase. On 8 July 2000 elements of the Battalion advanced on the final objective and soon after successfully captured Camp Abubakar, the Abdulrahman Bedis Memorial Academy, and cleared the remaining MILF rebels from the area.
On 14 August 2000, the 7th Infantry Battalion was placed under the operational control of Joint Task Force Trident. The unit was to deploy to Sulu in connection with Operation Final Option II, to rescue hostages from members of the Abu Sayyaf Group. On 14 September 2000, the unit left for Jolo, Sulu transported by the Philippine Navy. It arrived in Jolo supported by 10 armored vehicles and the Battalion quickly moved to link up with the rest of the Task Force at Timbangan Road Junction, Indanan, Sulu. While artillery fire suppressed the enemy, the unit proceeded to search for the hostages in Barangay Bandang, Talipao, Sulu.
The 7th Infantry Battalion conducted a series of combat operations to rescue hostages throughout the province of Sulu, particularly in the municipalities of Talipao, Indanan and Patikul. Two French journalists were rescued at Barangay Lanao, Dakula, Indanan, Sulu. Before leaving Sulu the unit initiated 33 encounters with the enemy, inflicting numerous casualties and recovering weapons and ammunition.
On 12 January 2002, the Battalion departed Sulu. It was transported by the Philippine Navy to Cotabato, where it established its Battalion headquarters on Hill 150, Brgy Upper Meta, Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao on 14 January 2002. The unit's area of responsibility covered the municipalities of Sharif Aguak, Ampatuan, all in Maguindanao, Esperanza and part of Sultan Kudarat province, including Bagumbayan, Senator Ninoy Aquino, Lebak and Kalamansig.
On 14 January 2002, the unit took over responsibility for the area previously occupied by the 6th Infantry Battalion. There the unit continued to conduct internal security operations from Battalion sized to squad sized, inflicting casualties on the enemy and recovery weapons.
On 16 January 2004, the 7th Infantry Battalion replaced the 6th Infantry Battalion as the unit assigned to organize, train, equip and administratively control CAA and SCAA companies both under the 604th Infantry Brigade and Joint Task Unit Tugis (JTUT). The 7th Infantry Battalion replaced the 6th Infantry Battalion as the lead JTUT element.
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