CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City – The 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division has installed two (2) new Commanders of its line units based in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte in separate Change of Command Ceremonies on July 29 and 30 respectively, presided by Major General Jose Maria R. Cuerpo II, Commander of 4ID.
Lieutenant Colonel Chris C. Baloran took over as the new Commanding Officer of the 23rd Infantry Battalion stationed in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte on July 29, replacing Outgoing Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Jeffrey P. Balingao who led the unit from 2022 to 2024. Lt. Col. Baloran, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 2002, previously served as the Executive Officer of the 402nd Infantry Brigade based in Bancasi, Butuan City.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Albert M. Batingga assumed command as the new Commanding Officer of the 30th Infantry Battalion based in Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte on July 30, succeeding Lt. Col. Jerold H. Jale who served since 2022. Lt. Col. Batingga, a member of PMA Class of 2001, was the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, G3, 4ID prior to his current role.
Both outgoing Commanding Officers were awarded Military Merit Medals with interim Distinguished Service Stars and Command Plaques for their valuable contributions, particularly in leading their units in fighting against insurgency and sustaining peace and development in their respective areas of responsibility.
Notably, under the leadership of Lt. Col. Jale, the Guerilla Front 16 and Sub-regional Committee Northland under the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee of the communist terrorist group (CTG) were dismantled, leading to Surigao del Norte being declared an insurgency-free province. While under Lt. Col. Balingao, the 23IB successfully dismantled the SRSDG Sagay, SRC 3 under the CTG’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.
In his remarks, Maj. Gen. Cuerpo commended the accomplishments of the outgoing Commanding Officers, which significantly contributed to the overall success of the 4ID’s mission. Furthermore, he expressed confidence in the abilities of the new Commanding Officers as they embark on the journey of maintaining their predecessors’ gains, especially in ending the decades-long insurgency problem in the region.
“To the outgoing Commanding Officers, you have proved your leadership and managerial acumen by ably stirring the unit towards new heights. The battalion’s accomplishments during your stint speak for themselves as several key leaders and members of the CTG have surrendered and lost their firepower. And to the new Commanding Officers, I am certain that your skills, expertise, and experiences will be useful in the days ahead. So, make good use of your experiences and learning as a brilliant officer to become yet another outstanding leader. I trust that you will further develop, enhance, and sustain the culture of excellence that you vigorously advocate,” he added.
