CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City – Brigadier General Consolito P. Yecla has assumed post as the Acting Commander of the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division, Philippine Army of the Armed Forces of the Philippines succeeding Major General Jose Maria R Cuerpo II in a Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony presided over by Lieutenant General Roy M. Galido, Commanding General of the Philippine Army, held at the 4ID Grandstand, Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City this morning, January 17, 2025.
BGen. Yecla, a member of the PMA “Tanglaw-Diwa” Class of 1992, has been serving as the Assistant Division Commander of the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) since July 31, 2024. He began his military career in the 4ID, serving from 1992 to 2001 in the 58th and 30th Infantry Battalions. Throughout his career, he has held several important roles and key positions, including Deputy Commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Commander of Task Force Davao, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (G3), and Brigade Commander of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade under the 10th Infantry Division. He also served as the Commanding Officer of the 74th Infantry Battalion under the 2nd Infantry Division.
Through hard work and perseverance as a commissioned officer, BGen. Yecla has achieved remarkable success, a proven combat officer and leader in the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ counterinsurgency operations. He has also demonstrated exceptional heroism by facilitating the surrender of 156 MILF combatants and rescuing 23 kidnap victims in the Lanao provinces while serving with the 30th Infantry Battalion.
Additionally, as the Commander of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, 10ID, he successfully led his unit to conclude the insurgency ahead of the timeline set by the former president. In just over six months, his unit eliminated 100% of the enemy forces in their Area of Responsibility (AOR), achieving this remarkable feat with zero casualties among the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and without losing any firearms to the enemy. This exceptional accomplishment made him the only Army Infantry Brigade Commander in the history of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAAI) to receive the Cavalier Award in the field of Army Operations, an honor presented by no less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in February 2023.
In his assumption speech, BGen. Yecla expressed his deep gratitude to the CGPA for the trust and confidence placed in him. He committed to hitting the ground running, believing that the people of Caraga and Northern Mindanao deserve nothing less than the best service from the Philippine Army. He is determined to leverage his humble experiences and past command positions to elevate the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) to a new level in successfully ending the insurgency across the entire area of responsibility (AOR).
“We will redouble our efforts to promote peace and stability in our area of responsibility. Let us continue to collaborate with our stakeholders, the Local Government Units, partner agencies to forge ahead with programs that foster trust and inclusivity. We will push further our campaign to neutralize the remaining threats to peace in the area of responsibility. We will hit them harder and force them to abandon the armed struggle utilizing all available means. At the same time, we will continue to extend a hand of reconciliation to those who wish to rejoin the folds of the law and live in harmony,” BGen. Yecla added.
On the other hand, MGen. Cuerpo, a member of the PMA “Bigkis-Lahi” Class of 1990, officially relinquished his position as the 4ID Commander marking the conclusion of nearly 39 years of service in the Armed Forces. He bids farewell to the Diamond Troopers after successfully leading the 4ID for 1 year, 9 months, and 17 days since his appointment on March 24, 2023.
Under his strategic direction, the Division has achieved significant operational milestones and breakthroughs in the pursuit of peace and development across Northern Mindanao and Caraga region. Pivotal to this success was the dismantling of three (3) Guerrilla Fronts (GFs), two (2) Sub-Regional Committees (SRCs), two (2) Sub-Regional Sentro de Grabidad (SRSDGs), and one (1) Independent Platoon of the communist terrorist group (CTG).
Through the aggressive joint and combined focused military operations of the whole Joint Task Force Diamond, 4ID recorded a total of 160 encounters from March 23, 2023, to January 16, 2025, wherein 63 CPP-NPA terrorists (CNTs) have been killed, 4 captured, 10 apprehensions, and 296 surrenders. Meanwhile, a total of 442 firearms, composed of 398 high-powered and 44 low-powered firearms, were captured and surrendered. Another historic milestone achieved during Major General Cuerpo’s tenure was the declaration of Surigao del Norte as an insurgency-free province, signifying the end of more than five decades of armed conflict and freeing the province from the clutches of CTG.
In his message, Lt. Gen. Galido congratulated Maj. Gen Cuerpo for the very successful military career and commended his exemplary leadership as the Commander of 4ID that resulted to its unprecedented accomplishments, contributing to the overall mission of the Philippine Army. “Mistah, congratulations for a job well done,” he said.
In his new role as the Acting Commander, the CGPA conveyed his confidence to Brig. Gen. Yecla’s ability to lead the Division. “We heard Brigadier General Yecla stating that he will hit the road running. Meaning he doesn’t need to learn anything but he would build on what Major General Cuerpo has established. Although much is expected of you, though Acting, just do your job as this is a unique opportunity for you to showcase what you have instore,” the CGPA said.
Further, Lt. Gen. Galido enjoined the Diamond Troopers to extend their utmost support to the Acting Commander and reiterated his guidance in ensuring a peaceful and successful upcoming midterm national and local election 2025.
———————————————————-30—————————————————
