Another Negrense military official is among the Army generals being groomed to be the incoming commanding general of theSouthern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Maj. Gen. Rey Ardo, of Fabrica, Sagay City, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division in central Mindanao, is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1981, to which Army chief Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista and Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, 3rd Infantry Division commander, also belong.

If the SOLCOM chief position is given to Ardo, he may follow the footsteps of another Sagaynon, former AFP chief of staff Gen. Victor Ibrado, who also became an area commander of the AFP, before he was designatedthe Philippine Army chief.

Ardo, 54, is retiring from the military in November 2013.

The SOLCOM chief position will be vacated by Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali, who retired from the military service yesterday, under the attrition law, which states that a three-star general like him should be promoted to the next higher rank three years after he got his current rank, or he will be compulsorily retired.

Detabali got his third star on July 16, 2009. He cannot be promoted to the four-star rank because it is only for the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Military records show that Detabali is reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 on September 21.

Maj. Gen. Josue Gaverza, commander of the 9th Infantry Division in the Bicol region, is also retiring on July 25 due to attrition. He is supposed to retire on Jan. 25 next year.

Gaverza also served as commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Murcia, Negros Occidental.

Also due for retirement next month are Lt. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, who also visited the 303rd IB headquarters in Murcia last week, and Maj. Gen. Renato David, vice-commander of the Philippine Army, military records also show.* GPB

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