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New Eastmincom commander named

By Che Palicte

January 24, 2020, 8:36 pm

<p><strong>CHANGE OF COMMAND.</strong> Maj. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., the current commander of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, is expected to assume the reigns of the Eastern Mindanao Command on Saturday (January 25). He will replace Brig. Gen. Alfredo Rosario who was designated as acting commander when Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Armed Force of the Philippines earlier this year. <em>(Photo courtesy of Eastmincom)</em></p>

CHANGE OF COMMAND. Maj. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., the current commander of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, is expected to assume the reigns of the Eastern Mindanao Command on Saturday (January 25). He will replace Brig. Gen. Alfredo Rosario who was designated as acting commander when Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Armed Force of the Philippines earlier this year. (Photo courtesy of Eastmincom)

DAVAO CITY – The current commander of the Army's 10th Infantry Division (ID) will assume as the 12th commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) during a change of command ceremony on Saturday (January 25) at the Eastmincom headquarters here.

Maj. Gen. Jose Faustino, Jr. will replace Brig. Gen. Alfredo Rosario, who was designated acting commander when Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. was appointed as chief of staff of the Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP) earlier this year.

Lt. Col Ezra Balagtey, Eastmincom spokesperson, said the ceremony will be presided by Santos.

Balagtey said Faustino is a member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Maringal” Class of 1988.

"A well-known leader of character, he was designated to command the following units of the Philippine Army: the 7th Scout Ranger Company, First Scout Ranger Regiment; Training Group, Scout Ranger Training School, FSRR; 11th Intelligence and Security Unit, Intelligence and Security Group, Philippine Army wherein he greatly contributed to the tracking and neutralizing of enemy personalities of the Mindanao Regional Committee in Davao Region," Balagtey said.

Balagtey said Faustino made strides in military operations which resulted in the dismantling of various Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (NPA)-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) units and their shadow governments in the different communities in Regions 11 and 12.

The new Eastmincom commander, he added, also led the dismantling of three NPA guerilla fronts and four Pulang Bagani units of the NPA, including local revolutionary committees composed of 1,060 NPA members.

"He also led the declaration of CPP-NPA-NDF persona non grata in some local government units and the neutralization of high valued targets like Rachel Daguma alias Jasmine, the head of the Communist-Terrorist Group’s Regional Peasant Bureau, Southern Mindanao Region Command," Balagtey said.

Faustino is also credited with pushing the "whole-of-nation approach" to end local communist armed conflict in both regions and supported the localized engagement framework initiated by the different local government units (LGUs) in his area of responsibility.

"Faustino is adept in a wide range of peace and security programs not only in Mindanao but in the whole country, having been assigned in the different units of AFP in various capacities," Balagtey said.

Faustino once headed the Army's 11th Intelligence Service Unit and fought terrorists in Western Mindanao when he led the 35th Infantry Battalion, and subsequently the 501st Infantry Brigade as brigade commander, Balagtey said. (PNA)

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