TACLOBAN CITY — Major Gen. Edgardo de Leon on Monday assumed the top military post of Eastern Visayas.
The ceremony, held at the grounds of the 8th Infantry Division camp in Catbalogan City in Samar, was presided by chief of staff and current Army chief, Lt. Gen. Andres Centino.
De Leon, who was the deputy chief of staff for operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and a member of the Class Maringal of 1988 of the Philippine Military Academy, vowed to address the continuing insurgency problem in the region.
The region, composed of the provinces of Leyte, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar, continues to be saddled with the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Centino, in his address during the turnover ceremony, described de Leon as a “determined and well-trained” officer.
“I will be losing a competent staff at the general headquarters but we will gain a competent, determined, and capable commander of the 8th Infantry Division,” he said.