PAGADIAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / June 2, 2013) – Brigadier General Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, Jr. took over as the General Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division in Zamboanga del Sur province following the death of Brigadier General Daniel Lucero.
Trinidad is the Assistant Division Commander of Brigadier General Daniel Lucero, who drowned on Sunday during scuba diving with his staffs in Tukuran town.
He said Lucero drowned during his reception in welcoming 21 army officers, all second lieutenants, at the Tabak Beach.
“In line with the activity, Brigadier General Daniel Lucero invited officers of the (1st Infantry) Division, who are certified scuba divers. They were assisted by civilian friends and members of Life Time Dive Center of Pagadian City. While nearing the water surfacing from a depth of less than 40 feet General Lucero suddenly collapsed at about 1:55 p.m.”
“Scuba divers who were with the good General immediately applied first aid and upon reaching the shoreline rushed General Lucero to the Mendero Hospital in Pagadian City for medical treatment. The Commander of 1st Infantry Division was declared expired by the attending physician at 3:15 in the afternoon,” Trinidad said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He said Lucero, who was the 43rd commander of the Division, is a great loss to the army.
“He has extensive experience in the Army’s Civil Military Operations, shown his great interest in giving primacy to the welfare of the people by advocating the Internal Peace Security Plan Bayanihan to win peace especially in this part of Mindanao,” Trinidad said.
He said the body of Lucero would be brought to the Philippine Army headquarters in Manila on Tuesday. (Mindanao Examiner)
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