PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed M/Gen. Ernesto ‘Jun’ Torres as the new Armed Forces area commander for Northern Luzon (Northern Luzon Command).
In a letter to Department of National Defense (DND) secretary Delfin Lorenzana dated January 7, 2022 but released only on Monday, January 17, 2022, the Chief Executive approved the promotion of Torres, the current 10th Infantry ‘Agila’ Division commander, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom).
Torres would be replacing Lt. General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, who retired from the military after more than 37 years in service and on reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 last December 1, 2021.
Both are former spokespersons of the Armed Forces before being assigned to major field commands.
On the day Torres’ appointment was released, he was presiding at a press conference with Eastern Mindanao area commander, Lt. General Greg T. Almerol, to announce the 10TH Infantry Division’s latest successes against the Communist Party of the Philippines in his area of operations.
They include not only the neutralization of the CPP’s two highest officials in the country, Anna Sandra ‘Kaye’ Reyes and, Menandro ‘Bok’ Villanueva, both members of the CPP Central Committee. Reyes was killed on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2021, while Villanueva was also killed last January 5, 2022 in separate clashes, both in Davao de Oro (formerly Compostela Valley).
Torres would also be transferring to Nolcom with the knowledge that under his command, the Agila Division also effected the complete collapse of the Sub-Regional Command (SRC) 5 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee (SMRPC) of the CPP.
Torres was Agila Division commander since March 4, 2021, when he replaced M/Gen. Reuben Basiao. Both are products of ‘Makatao’ Class 1989 of the Philippine Military Academy.