AFP Southern Command

{{Short description|Defunct Military unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines}}

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = AFP Southern Command

| dates = 1976–2006

| disbanded = August 6, 2006

| country = {{flagicon|Philippines}} Philippines

| allegiance = Philippines
Armed Forces of the Philippines

| branch =

| type = Unified Command

| role = Anti-Terrorism

Anti-Dissidents

Search and Rescue

Disaster Relief

| size = 49,000

| command_structure = Department of National Defense

Armed Forces of the Philippines

| garrison = Camp Basilio Navarro, Zamboanga City

| nickname = SouthCom

| equipment = M113 Armored Personnel Carriers

FV101 Scorpion Light Tanks

V150 Commando Light Armored Vehicles

GKN Simba Light Armored Vehicles

M101 105mm Howitzers

M114 155mm Howitzers

| battles = All-Out War against MILF(Operation Restore Fragile Peace)

Siege of Lamitan

Battle of Jolo

| notable_commanders = Rear Admiral Romulo Espaldon

Major General Delfin Castro

Lieutenant General Angelo Reyes

Lieutenant General Roy Cimatu

Lieutenant General Narciso Abaya

Lieutenant General Generoso Senga

| aircraft_attack = OV10 Bronco

| aircraft_fighter = F5 Freedom

S211 Amaechi

| aircraft_helicopter = Bell 512

Bell 514

| aircraft_helicopter_attack = MG-525 Defender Attack Helicopters

AH-S70 Spirit Attack Gunship Helicopters

| aircraft_helicopter_cargo = C130 Hercules

| aircraft_helicopter_multirole = UH-1H Huey Helicopters

Bell 412

Bell 414

| aircraft_helicopter_utility = UH-1H Huey Helicopters

| aircraft_patrol = C130 Hercules

}}

AFP Southern Command (SouthCom) is a defunct unified command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was the largest command under AFP during its existence. It covers entire island of Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago, Celebes Sea, Sulu Sea, and Southern part of Philippine Sea. It gained highlight during the Abu Sayyaf kidnapping incidents and the all-out war against Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

It is responsible for the defense of these areas against external aggression, as well as combating terrorism and insurgency. It is also one of the government organizations advocating the "Culture of Peace" in Mindanao.

This command was dealing with Moro conflict in late 1960s until mid 1990s with Moro National Liberational Front which are focused in Sulu Archipelago. A separate members of MNLF who were not in favor of the Tripoli Tripartite{{cite web|url=https://www.hdcentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/The-Tripoli-Agreement-1976.pdf|date=2008-01-23|title=THE TRIPOLI AGREEMENT|access-date=2023-12-02}} pact which launched another Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 1979 which are more located in Southern part of mainland Mindanao. Aside from moro secessional movements, southern command is also dealing with Communist Rebellion with CPP-NPA who are controlling the hinterlands in Northeastern. In order to deal with different front the government decided to split the command in order to focus solely on single front.{{cite web|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/11262/arroyo-approves-splitting-of-afp-southern-command/story/|title=Arroyo approves splitting of AFP Southern Command {{pipe}} GMA News Online|website=gmanetwork.com|date=21 July 2006 |access-date=2023-12-02}}

On August 6, 2006, Southern Command was split into two separate commands Western Mindanao Command and Eastern Mindanao Command and it was disbanded.{{Cite journal |last=Soliman |first=Santos |date=April 2010 |title=PRIMED AND PURPOSEFUL |url=https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/115733/SAS-Armed-Groups-Human-Security-Efforts-Philippines.pdf |journal=South-South Network for Non-State Armed Group Engagement |pages=182 |isbn=978-2-940415-29-8}}{{Cite news |date=August 22, 2006 |title=AFP to beef up forces after Southcom split |work=The Philippine Star |url=https://www.philstar.com/nation/2006/08/22/354078/afp-beef-forces-after-southcom-split }}