An Army Special Forces officer who was awarded a Medal of Valor for leading his men in the raid of a New People's Army training camp in Murcia, Negros Occidental, where at least 50 insurgents were killed in 1990, is now a general.

Captain Arturo Ortiz, then commanding officer of the 606th SF Company, is now a Brigadier General commanding the elite Special Forces Regiment of the Philippine Army. Despite being heavily outnumbered by rebels, SF troopers led by Ortiz successfully overran a training camp of the New People's Army in Sitio Manipulon, Brgy. Pandanon, Murcia in 1990, killing about 50 rebels and recovered more than 30 high-powered firearms, military records show.

The Medal of Valor is the highest military decoration awarded to any member of the AFP for bravery.

Ortiz is joining today Maj. Gen. Benito Ramos, commanding general of the Army's Special Operations Command, in making exit calls to Scout Rangers stationed in Panay and Negros . Ramos, who also served as the commanding officer of the 6th SF Battalion, used to be stationed in central Negros, is retiring next month from the military service as he reaches 56, the mandatory retirement age for AFP and PNP members.

Maj. Gen. Victor Ibrado, 3rd Infantry Division command, is slated to replace Ramos as commander of the Special Operations Command, which supervises the elite units of the Philippine Army-Special Forces and Scout Ranger Regiments.

Six other military and police officers who served at the height of insurgency problem in Negros, also occupy high positions in the Philippine Army and National Police.

Newly-promoted Chief Supt. Leocadio Santiago, commanding officer of the 334th PC Company, is now serving as the deputy director of the elite Special Action Force of the PNP.

Lt. Col. Raymundo Banares, then a captain and aide of Brig. Gen. Raymundo Jarque at the height of the Oplan Thunderbolt campaign, recently assumed command of the 78th Infantry Battalion stationed in Cebu.

Senior Supt. Tom Banas, Operations chief of the defunct Negros Island Police Task Force, was also installed on Feb. 19 by PNP chief Oscar Calderon as the new provincial police director of Batangas.

Senior Supts. Victor Deona and Rogelio Damazo, who both served as commanding and executive officers, respectively, of the defunct 331st PC Company, are now serving as provincial police directors of Masbate and Mountain Province.*GPB

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