Kalinaw News: Achiever has a new Commander

Posted to the Kalinaw News (Oct 23, 2020): Achiever has a new Commander

CAMP LEON KILAT, Tanjay City, Negros Oriental – The 302nd Infantry Achiever Brigade has a new Commander, COL LEONARDO I PEÑA (MNSA) PA replacing BGEN NOEL T BALUYAN PA during the Change of Command Ceremony on October 20, 2020, tuesday at the Headquarters, 302nd Brigade, Camp Leon Kilat, Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, with MGEN ERIC C VINOYA PA as Presiding General Officer.

After successfully leading the Achiever Brigade for one (1) year and two (2) months, BGEN Baluyan relinquishes his command to COL LEONARDO I PEŇA (MNSA) PA as the Commander of the 302nd Brigade. BGEN Baluyan will take post as the new Assistant Division Commander (ADC), 3ID, PA at Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz. In his message, Brigadier General Baluyan described his stint as “the most socially enriching, fulfilling, rewarding and exciting assignment” he has ever had.

He thanked all the stakeholders, the governor, the local chief executives, LGUs, the PNP counterparts, his troops and the higher Headquarters that he has immensely worked with that enabled him to achieve the mission and vision of the Brigade. He requested them to give the same level of support, if not more, to the incoming Brigade commander, COL PEÑA.

COL PEÑA is now the new commander of the 302nd Infantry Achiever Brigade. He was formerly the Chief of the Unified Command Staff (CUCS) of the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) AFP. COL PEŇA in his acceptance speech said, “God has a plan and vision for me to fulfill as I humbly assume this position to be of service to the Filipino people of Visayas, particularly, Negros Island. Rest assured that I will be a team player in achieving our ultimate goal of peace and progress in this part of our country. Peace requires the integration of an encompassing approach, one that demands the employment of military and non-military solutions and leaves no sector behind. With this in mind, we shall converge and harmonize our efforts to attain our comprehensive security template.

We will continue strengthening our cooperation with government agencies and partner stakeholders to realize inclusive peace and pursue our localized peace initiatives and community support programs.” He further stressed that the 302nd brigade “will remain a force to be reckoned with not by mere weapons but by deeds.”

The keynote speaker and presiding officer for the said occasion is MGEN Eric Vinoya, PA, the commander of the Joint Task Force Spearhead and the 32nd commander of the 3rd Infantry Division. In his message, he congratulated and thanked BGEN Noel Baluyan for the remarkable services he has rendered to the 3rd Infantry Division. MGEN Vinoya welcomed the newly installed Brigade Commander, Col PEÑA, stating that he has his full trust and confidence that he will lead the brigade with the same enthusiasm and commitment.

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