Air Force general assumes post as Central Command chief

An Air Force general assumed on Monday his post as commander of the military forces in the Visayas and vowed to end insurgency in the island.

Maj. Gen. Roy Deveraturda took over as chief of the Cebu-based Central Command (Centcom), succeeding Vice Adm. Edgar Abogado, who has been named Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Deveraturda will be supervising the troops securing the entire Visayas, including known insurgency hotbeds like Negros and Samar.

Deveraturda said the military cannot be complacent even if some areas in Visayas like Cebu, Bohol and parts of Samar, Leyte, Negros and Panay have been declared insurgency-free. 

“We simply cannot let our guards down. We must keep the momentum consistent and high. There will be no letting-up in this undertaking,” Deveraturda said in his assumption speech.

“Such accomplishment must be sustained to transform the rest of Centcom focus areas, particularly in Negros, Panay and Samar, to ultimately attain an insurgency-free Visayas. This goal is within reach,” he added.

Prior to his appointment as Central Command chief, Deveraturda was head of the Air Force’s 2nd Division. 

Deveraturda also served as the Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and chief of the Modernization Program Management Office. He was also a former commander of the 15th Strike Wing and 570th Composite Tactical Wing. 

Meanwhile, the military implemented some reassignments due to the promotion and retirement of some officers.

Abogado has been appointed PMA Superintendent, succeeding Lt. Gen. Ireneo Espino, who will retire on Thursday.

A graduate of PMA class ’80, Abogado held key Navy posts including Vice Commander, Chief of Naval Staff, Deputy Commander of the Philippine Fleet, and Commander of Assault Craft Force.

Maj. Gen. Romeo Poquiz, the outgoing Air Force Inspector-General, has been named commander of the 2nd Air Division. He was a former commander of the 710th Special Operations Wing and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics.

Succeeding Poquiz as Air Force Inspector-General is Brig. Gen. Richard Siga-an, the outgoing head of the Armed Forces Pension and Gratuity Management Center.

Col. Enrique Reyes, the outgoing deputy commander of the 15th Strike Wing, will succeed Poquiz as the military’s pension chief.

Meanwhile, Col. Arnold Mancita has been named Wing Commander of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing, succeeding Brig. Gen. Alexander Bote, who retired last week.