Col. Gregorio Fajardo, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, has been promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Fajardo who also served as commander of the 11th Infantry Battalion in 2004, was among the 10 senior military officials promoted effective Dec. 23 last year, that includes his predecessor, Brig. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas, who is now a major general. Fojas who spent several years as commander of the 57th Infantry Battalion in Mabinay, Negros Oriental, and later as commanding officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, is now the AFP deputy chief of staff for operations.

The promotion and retirement of several senior military officers may also trigger a revamp in the AFP, starting next month.

Maj. Gen. Victor Ibrado, commanderl of the 3rd Infantry Division, is reportedly among those affected by the revamp as he is being groomed to be the commanding general of the Special Operations Command.

SOCOM controls the Army's Special Forces and Scout Ranger Regiments, elite units of the Philippine Army, which used to be commanded by now AFP chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon.

Meanwhile, the NAPOLCOM provincial officer Joseph Celiz has also been promoted to assistant regional director of Napolcom in the Autonomous Region for Muslim in Mindanao, effective Jan. 1.

However, it has not been determined yet who will succeed Celiz as the Napolcom provincial officer of Negros Occidental.*GPB

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