New Centcom chief assumes office today

Defense secretary, AFP chief of staff to witness ceremony

DEFENSE Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin will be the guest of honor and presiding officer in the installation of the new commanding general of the Central Command (Centcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at 9:30 a.m. today.

Centcom, which is based in Camp LapuLapu, is situated in Barangays Lahug, Banilad and Apas in Cebu City. It is the unified command center of all the AFP forces from the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force in the Visayas composed of Regions 6, 7 and 8.

Major Gen. Jose Mabanta, acting Centcom commander, will turn over the command to Rear Admiral Edgar L. Abogado in a ceremony, which will be witnessed by Gazmin and AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Jessie D. Dellosa.

This may be the last official visit of Dellosa to Centcom as he will be officially retiring in a scheduled turnover ceremony in Manila on Jan. 17 to be presided by President Benigno Aquino III.

Centcom Public Infor- mation Officer Christopher Tampus, said Mabanta was first named Centcom acting commander on Aug. 13, 2012 when Gen. Ralph Villanueva retired from service.

Mabanta was replaced by Navy Rear Admiral Jose Alano on Oct. 1, 2012. Mabanta was again named as Centcom acting commander and replaced Alano last Dec. 24 after the latter was promoted by Aquino as flag officer in command or head of the entire Philippine Navy.

While serving as acting Centcom chief, Mabanta also performs as commanding general of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division in concurrent capacity.

The 3rd Infantry Division covers Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Panay Island and Iloilo.

Tampus said that as military top brass, Mabanta wants more peace initiatives than combat.

“He (Mabanta) once invited the National Democratic Front in the local level for a peace dialogue, but unfortunately there was no response,” Tampus said.