Teodosio, 73

OAKWOOD mutiny hero Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio of the Philippine Marines passed away on Monday dawn after a lingering sickness in Taguig, Rizal his family said.

Teodosio was 73 years old when he succumbed to lymphoma cancer, his son, Jun, said.

The tough-talking Marine general became famous when he led the First Marine Brigade in taking back the town of Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte which was overrun by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 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 across Mindanao.

Teodosio, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1972, and his Marine brigade were ordered to the town of Balabagan in Lanao del Sur to assault Camp Abubakar in nearby Maguindanao which was the largest MILF camp and seat of power by the rebels.

He was ordered to capture Camp Bushra, the MILF second largest camp, in Lanao del Sur which he did after three days of fighting in June 2000.

After the fall of Camp Abubakar, Teodosio was ordered to Sulu to run after the Abu Sayyaf rebels who were then holding hostages several foreigners as hostages,

Disgusted that his brigade was not supplied with trucks and tanks, Teodosio complied and was promptly relieved and sent back to Manila.

As Armed Forces of the Philippines 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 Island and Zamboanga City in 2002.

Teodosio was also instrumental in putting down the coup attempt led by young military officers in what is known as the Oakwood mutiny in 2023.

He was later designated as commander of the AFP Visayas Command in Cebu in 2004.