Retirements trigger movements in AFP

Army commander Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito D. Bautista (left) installs new Army chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Danilo Chad D. Isleta (middle) in a change of command ceremony on Thursday at the Army headquarters. Isleta replaced Maj. Gen. Gilbert I. Gapay (right), who is now the commander of the Mechanized Infantry Division. (Philippine Army)

A reshuffle in the military leadership is underway as top generals have been promoted, following the retirement of high-ranking officers that triggered the continuing movements.

Maj. Gen. Rene Glen Paje, commander of the First Scout Ranger Regiment, replaced Maj. Gen. Melquiades Feliciano as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief of staff for civil military operations.

A change of command ceremony was held last Wednesday in Camp Aguinaldo.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, the AFP’s spokesman who served as acting deputy chief of staff for civil military operations after Feliciano retired last December, turned over the post to Paje.

READ: Battle-tested Scout Ranger takes over AFP civil-military ops

Col. William Gonzales, the deputy chief for education and training of the Philippine Army (PA), is set to replace Paje as regiment commander of the Scout Rangers.

Lt. Gen. Danilo Pamonag took the helm of the Southern Luzon Command (Socom) in mid-December. He was previously the commander of the Special Operations Command, and was in charge of the elite forces on the ground during the Marawi City siege.

The replacement of Pamonag as Socom commander has yet to be named.

Meanwhile, the PA also announced the appointment of its new chief of staff.

Brig. Gen. Danilo Chad Isleta replaced Maj. Gen. Gilbert Gapay during a change of command ceremony on Thursday at the PA headquarters in Taguig City.

Gapay has been assigned as the commander of the Mechanized Infantry Division, the unit responsible for ground warfare.

The Joint Task Force-National Capital Region’s new commander is Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, who was known for his stint as the island commander of Sulu. He replaced Maj. Gen. Jesus Mananquil, who was designated as the new commander of the PA’s 9th Infantry Division in the Bicol region.

READ: Abu hunter is new Joint Task Force-NCR chief

/kga