Army’s 4th Infantry Division has new commanding general

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—-The Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) based in this capital city of northern Mindanao has a new commanding general.

In simple change of command rites on Friday, the current 4ID commander, Major General Franco Nemesio Gacal, will be replaced by Major General Andres Centeno, erstwhile deputy chief of staff for operations of the He was the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

4ID spokesperson Capt. Al Anthony Pueblas said Army Chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay will preside over the ceremony that will be attended by less than 50 people, in keeping with existing health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Pueblas added that AFP Eastern Command chief Major General Jose Faustino will also be present to witness the command handover to be held at Camp Evangelista, the 4ID headquarters.

Gacal is set to assume as AFP Inspector General.

Born in Tacloban City in Leyte on February 4, 1967, Centeno graduated from the Philippine Military Academy, belonging to the Maringal Class of 1988.

Centeno served as commander of the Army’s 401st Infantry Brigade in Surigao del Sur where he fought with the New People’s Army (NPA).

The 4ID’s area of responsibility covers the five provinces of Caraga region, three provinces of northern Mindanao and its regional seat, Cagayan de Oro.

Of the eight provinces, six have known activities of the communist rebels.

The provinces of Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur and Bukidnon, which are under the 4ID’s area of responsibility, also connects to the remaining pockets of NPA strongholds in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, both of which are under the area of the 10th Infantry Division.