The Philippine Army (PA) has installed new chiefs in two key posts following the retirement of a military general and as part of the career advancement of its personnel.
Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., PA Commanding General, identified Col. Lauro Oliveros as the new Army internal auditor while Col. Rey Ferdinand Ga took the helm at the National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group (NCR RCDG) of the PA’s Reserve Command.
Oliveros took over from Brig. Gen. Edgar Nigos, who retired from the service last August 26 after a military career that spanned 38 years. He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Maringal” Class of 1988.
Brawner told Oliveros to safeguard the 110,000-strong organization from inefficiency and mismanagement as he takes on the role of the new Army internal auditor.
The Office of the Army Internal Auditor (OAIA) is tasked to “strengthen the Army’s internal control system and ensure check and balance, transparency, accountability, and good governance within the organization.”
Prior to the post, Oliveros served as the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Health Service Command. He belongs to the PMA “Bantay Laya” Class of 1994, and holds a National Security Studies diploma from the Development Academy of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Col. Ga succeeded Col. Ricky Bunayog as the commander of the NCR RCDG, a post he held for almost two years.
Ga is expected to lead the development of highly-capable, readily deployable, and well-capacitated reserve units in NCR that will effectively complement active troops in times of natural calamities and national emergencies.
Before the appointment, Ga served as the Army’s chief military diplomat since March 2020. He also held key leadership posts throughout his career such as deputy of the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, PA; chief of staff of the Army Artillery Regiment; and commanding officer of the 4th Field Artillery Battalion.
On the other hand, Bunayog is projected to be the deputy brigade commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, 6th Infantry Division based in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat.
Both Ga and Bunayog are members of the PMA “Maalab” Class of 1993.