Three senior officers to get new posts this week – military chief

Some movements within the Armed Forces of the Philippines' area commands are expected this week with the impending retirement of a senior officer, military chief General Emmanuel Bautista said Monday. 

Current Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Lt. General Rey Ardo is set to retire and will be replaced by Western Command (Wescom) chief Lt. General Rustico Guerrero.

 

The turnover will be held on November 9, Bautista said. 

 

A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1981, Guerrero served as the commanding officer of the 1st Marine Brigade and superintendent of the Marine Corps Training Center, according to a report from the Phiippine Information Agency. 

 

Before being a commandant, Guerrero was a commander of the Joint Task Force Comet in Sulu for almost a year, the same report said.

Incidentally, Bautista is also from PMA Class 1981.

The Wesmincom is tasked in handling threat groups such as the Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front in the provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, Lanao provinces and Zamboanga Peninsula. Meanwhile, the Wescom is tasked to secure Palawan and the West Philippine Sea.

 

Meanwhile, the incoming Wescom chief is Lt. General Roy Deveraturda of the AFP Central Command, the AFP chief said.

 

Deveraturda once served as Air Force commander in Lapu-Lapu City, according to the Central Command website.

 

"Mostly, ang in-a-appoint natin (sa Wescom) is either [from the] Navy or Air Force. Si Gen. Deveraturda is very familiar with the situation sa Wescom having been former J5 (Deputy Chief of Staff of Plans)," Bautista said.

 

The Central Command post will be taken over by Major General John Bonafos, Bautista said. Bonafos heads the Special Operations Command based at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

 

"He is one of our capable officers. Galing din sya dyan sa area ng Visayas, very familiar siya," Bautista said of Bonafos. — with Marc Jayson Cayabyab/RSJ, GMA News