ILOILO CITY — Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo is now the commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), which covers Western Visayas and Central Visayas.
Arevalo formally assumed his post Tuesday, September 21 in a change-of-command ceremony at Camp Peralta, the 3ID headquarters in Jamindan town, Capiz province.
Arevalo, who was previously assigned as deputy chief of staff for Civil Military Operations (CCMO) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), emphasized that it is through CMO that communist insurgency can be dismantled.
“We should be loved by the people and feared by the enemy,” said Arevalo during his assumption speech.
Arevalo wants to maintain the partnerships with stakeholders including the local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGAs), civil society, the academe, and different sectors.
Arevalo wants to sustain the partnership to curb the strength of the Communist Party of the Philippines- New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) while also helping out in COVID-19 responses.
“I encourage our stakeholders to be with us in fighting two threats we are facing at the moment; the CPP-NPA and the COVID-19. We should face both squarely. We should win over the threats they are posing,” Arevalo emphasized.
Arevalo replaced Brig. Gen. Noel Baluyan, who was the acting 3ID commander for two weeks following the September 6 retirement of Maj. Gen. Eric Vinoya.
Arevalo is a 1990 graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) then spent the first 10 years of his military service at 3ID starting as tactical officer of then 3ID Training Unit and rose to the ranks.
Arevalo also became the commanders of the 301st Infantry Brigade in Dingle town, Iloilo province and the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Negros Occidental province.