The Army-dominated Northern Luzon Command based in Tarlac province has remained under the leadership of a general from the Marine Corps.
On Monday, Major General Emmanuel Buenaflor Salamat replaced former Nolcom chief and now retired Lieutenant General Romeo Tanalgo during a turnover of command ceremony.
Salamat, a member of the Philippine military Academy “Sandiwa” Class 1985, was the former commandant of the Marine Corps. Tanalgo belongs to the PMA “Matikas” Class ’83.
The change of command was led by Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año, also a Matikas member.
Año himself is set to mandatorily retire on October 26. He has been named Interior secretary by President Rodrigo Duterte upon retirement but cannot immediately assume his post because of the one-year ban set by Republic Act 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, which says that, “no retired or resigned military officer or police official may be appointed as Secretary within one year from the date of his retirement or resignation.”