Major General Filemon Santos Jr. the newly installed new commander of Eastern Mindanao Command, speaks before a crowd during the Change of Command Ceremony held on January 21 presided by AFP Chief of Staff General Benjamin Madrigal Jr. in Panacan, Davao City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
DAVAO CITY—The Eastern Mindanao Command has welcomed Major General Filemon Santos Jr. as its new commander.
The post was occupied by Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., until he assumed as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on December 8 last year; and which was assumed by Acting Commander Major General Ronald Villanueva, an official said Tuesday.
Santos assumed the position as Eastmincom Commander in yesterday’s change of command ceremony presided by AFP Chief of Staff General Madrigal Jr. in Camp Panacan, headquarters of Eastmincom, according to Eastmincom spokesperson Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey.
Santos, the former commander of the 7th Infantry Division, is the 11th Commander of Eastmincom.
“MGen. Santos is not new in Mindanao’s situation as he is adept in wide range peace and security programs not only in Mindanao but in the whole country,” Balagtey said.
He said Santos had been assigned to strategic offices of the AFP dealing with Operations, Intelligence, and Civil-Military Operations.
According to Balagtey, Santos once served as the head of the 11th Intelligence Service Unit based in Davao City. He also became the Army’s Group Commander of Intelligence Service Group.
During his stay in the Visayas, Santos served as the Chief of Operations of the Central Command.
He also headed the 703rd Infantry Brigade based in Central Luzon and a Battalion Commander of the 63rd Infantry Battalion in Samar Province.
In Mindanao, Santos served as the assistant division commander of the 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army based in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Awang, Maguindanao.
“Aside from (his track record in) operations and intelligence, [and] his experience in civil-military operations, Santos is expected [to] boost the peace and security efforts in Eastern Mindanao, especially in the implementation of Executive Order 70 to fight the insurgency,” Balaytey said.
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy in 1986, Santos spent his early days in the Army with the 39th Infantry Battalion, a unit deployed in various provinces in Mindanao./lzb