Tabaquero earns 1st star

THE commanding officer of the Katipunan, Carmen-based 302nd Infantry Brigade is now a general. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently approved the appointments of 14 senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to the rank of brigadier general.

On receiving his copy of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita's transmittal of President Arroyo's approval to Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Tabaquero immediately called on Gov. Erico Aumentado whom he thanked for all the support that led to his promotion. A full colonel when he first assumed as commanding officer of the 302nd Brigade vice BGen Juanito Gomez, BGen Arthur Tabaquero now also sports a star on his collar.

Aumentado is all praises for Gomez to whom he attributes the dissolution of four of five communist guerilla fronts in Bohol . Gomez also supported the organization into a cooperative of former rebels and helped provide them with housing and livelihood so that it was Tabaquero's biggest challenge to sustain the grounds his predecessor had gained. President Arroyo even cited Aumentado and Gomez for their joint peace and development program that not only left the insurgency in Bohol in scrawny rags but advanced the former rebels' return to mainstream society as well. But the Tarlac City-born new commanding general apparently has some fire in him, too. Intent on also leaving an indelible mark apart from trying to fill in Gomez' big shoe, he was quick to borrow and copy Aumentado's principle of building on the accomplishments of his predecessors.

He further pushed the special operations teams (SOT), built the confidence of the mayors, other government officials and the private sector, heightened intelligence gathering, improved Camp Rajah Sikatuna which is the brigade headquarters, constructed additional buildings and offices, shepherded and continued the housing project for former rebels, provided guidance to lower units and other tasks. It was also during his time – only last week – that the political officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) Domingo Samuya returned to the fold of the law through his cousin San Isidro Mayor Requillo Samuya and Aumentado.

Apparently, Tabaquero shares his father's love of serving the country as a soldier. His father Luciano is a retired 2nd lieutenant who is now into business, ably partnered by his mother Rosalina. The younger Tabaquero graduated valedictorian from the Sinait Elementary School and was a distinguished graduate of the Tarlac High School . He started the B.S. Electrical Engineering course at the St. Louis University in Baguio City but the nearness of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) proved too tempting.

As such, he first entered the military service as a PMA cadet on April 1, 1974 and was a second lieutenant on graduation on Feb. 18, 1978 . Later he took up Masters in Public Administration at the Manuel L. Quezon University where he has yet to defend his thesis. His first assignment was Patikul, Jolo, Sulu where he also met his wife Amie. They have two daughters and a son. He also had assignments in Isabela, Cagayan, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Fort Bonifacio in Makati City , Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City ; Cebu City where he was chief of staff of the Central Command; Davao del Norte as deputy brigade commander before his present assignment.

He trained as a scout ranger, took up basic courses in airborne and field artillery officer and all required schoolings for promotion. He also underwent the regimental officer advance course and the joint warfare course in New South Wales in Australia and the International Defense Management Course at the Naval Post Graduate School in California , USA.

Tabaquero has piled up five distinguished service stars, an outstanding achievement medal, two bronze cross medals, 21 military merit medals, 16 military commendation medals and special awards for being the most outstanding junior officer of the year as company commander, best field artillery battalion of the year as battalion commander, division's best infantry battalion in personnel administration and management as battalion commander and command plaque when he was the Army's assistant chief of staff for personnel, on top of 65 letters of commendation, certificates and plaques of appreciation from different military commanders and heads of offices of government and non-government organizations as well as local government units.

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