http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bac/2006/...satisfied..htmlJAMINDAN, Capiz -- The 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division of the Philippine Army in Camp Macario Peralta here has a new commanding general - Maj. Gen. Victor S. Ibrado.
His predecessor Major General Alphonsus Crucero dubbed as the "Tiger" of the Philippine Army in the Visayas finally retired from military service Sunday.
Crucero, who has been in the military for 30 years, is turning 56 on August 2.
He said though that he would retire from the military "unsatisfied."
"I know that I have done a lot for the Army, particularly the 3rd ID but I know that I also have a lot (of things) that have not been done yet," he said in his farewell speech during the turn-over of command Sunday morning.
"I am not satisfied because I have not done enough to fulfill my dreams for the 3rd ID and for the military. That's because time was too short for me to implement the best that I want to do and that is supposed to reform the soldiers' attitude towards professionalism," he added.
Nevertheless, Crucero is confident that Ibrado is the "best man" to continue all his programs and projects for the Visayan soldiers and to give realization to his unfulfilled dreams.
Ibrado is succeeding Crucero for the third time. In 1991, he succeeded Crucero as commanding officer (CO) of the 11th Infantry (Lapu-Lapu) Battalion in La Carlota City, as commanding officer of the 303rd (Brown Eagle) Infantry Brigade in Murcia town from 1997 to 1999 and as chief of staff of the Philippine Army in 2003 to 2004.
In response, Ibrado said, he needs to double or triple his efforts in order to approximate what Crucero's achievements at the 3ID for the past two years.
"To succeed Maj. Gen. Crucero is not easy but not difficult either," Ibrado said, also stressing his readiness to face any challenge.
Incoming Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who was the presiding officer in Sunday's turnover ceremony, said that Crucero is a great loss not only for the 3rd ID but for the Army and the AFP as well.
He said that for Crucero's more than 30 years in service, he witnessed how the "Tiger of the Visayas" made a lot of remarkable things for the AFP.
"Crucero really chartered a lot of significant gains for the Army and I saw how he gave most of his time for the 3rd ID, the great bastion of the Army in Western and Central Visayas in terms of implementing rules and programs of the AFP," Esperon pointed out.
"That's why with Ibrado's leadership, I am hoping that the Team Army will continue to exist at the 3rd ID with all the Visayan soldiers keeping the chain of command as sacred and unbroken," hoped Esperon.
He vowed that in his soon leadership at the AFP, he has already outlined his priority thrusts that will surely boost the soldiers' morale in the country.
These will include the enhancement of military capability being in the frontline unit on the internal security operations (ISO) through the Philippines' Defense Reform (PDR) program, diffusion of military efforts with that of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the same purpose in fighting the New People's Army (NPA) and retraining of Army battalions that will refurbish and equip the soldiers of new tactics in fighting against insurgents.
Added Esperon, he will also strengthen the Army's Engineering Battalion for development efforts like the building of farm-to-market roads and basic water systems on areas affected by insurgency as well as continue consolidating the AFP forces to address problems confronting the national security.
Esperon will also work out for the purchase of more combat boots for the army, basic communication and combat equipment, mobility vehicles as well as the increase in the quarterly or monthly allowance of the soldiers.
"In this way we can boost the soldiers morale to continue to be loyal to the AFP and to the chain of command," he assured.
As to the threat of security for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's scheduled State of the Nation Address (Sona) at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City on July 24, Esperon said, "We don't have any problem now. We'd almost neutralized the coup plotters."
Free at last
Meanwhile, Crucero said at last he's now free and so he can do everything he wants without minding the security of the Visayas island.
But he said that upon his freedom from the military service, he will be facing another "tedious" or "toughest" jobs but this time in their home as cook, dish washer, driver, laundry man, among others household chores.