PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named the commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division (ID) as the head of the military’s Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM).
Maj. Gen. Cerilo Balaoro took the helm of SOLCOM last Monday in rites presided over by Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. at the command’s headquarters in Lucena City.
Balaoro, who was consequently promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, succeeded Brig. Gen. Aldwine Almase.
Almase took over as acting SOLCOM commander, in concurrent capacity as the unit’s deputy commander, last May following the retirement of then-SOLCOM chief Lt. Gen. Facundo Palafox IV.
Balaoro, a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1991, assumed the post as SOLCOM commander barely 10 months after taking over as 2nd ID commander.
Balaoro previously served as commander of the Army’s 202nd Brigade, which is under the 2nd ID.
Balaoro holds a Master’s in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines.
In a statement, the AFP said the turnover ceremony “not only marked a transition of leadership, but also reaffirmed the AFP’s continued commitment to upholding peace, development, and security in the Southern Luzon region.”
The military has yet to announce who will succeed Balaoro as 2nd ID commander.
