AN Army general who supervised massive evacuation efforts during the eruption of Taal Volcano in Batangas early this year has been designated as commander of the Joint Task Force National Capital Region, a unit composed of members of the Army, Navy and Air Force, and tasked with addressing all security threats in Metro Manila.
Brig. Gen. Marceliano Teofilo assumed his new position yesterday during rites presided by Armed Forces chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay at the JTF-NCR headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Teofilo replaced Brig. Gen. Alex Luna who assumed the post of AFP deputy chief of staff for intelligence on Friday last week.
Teofilo, of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1990, was deputy commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division in Tanay, Rizal. There was still no word as to who would succeed Teofilo at the 2th ID.
Before becoming the 2nd ID deputy commander in August last year, Teofilo was commander of the Army’s 203rd Brigade and head of the Joint Task Force Taal.
As the JTF Taal commander, Teofilo supervised the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents due to phreatomagmatic eruptions at Taal. The task force also maintained peace and order in the affected areas.
As JTF-NCR chief, Teofilo will be involved in the campaign in Metro Manila against terrorist and communist groups. He will also support the PNP in peace and order initiatives.
Gapay said Teofilo’s previous assignments in the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) will be a factor in the performance of his job as JTF-NCR commander.
“Considering JTF-NCR’s focus on preventing CTGs (communist terrorist groups) and other terrorist groups from operating and bringing their influence in Metro Manila, BGen. Teofilo’s experiences in various units of the ISAFP will be utilized to further intensify intelligence and counter-intelligence operations of this command,” said Gapay.
