Brig. Gen. Joey A. Escanillas formally assumed command of the Philippine Army's 3rd Infantry "Spearhead" Division (3ID) on July 15, 2026, succeeding outgoing commander Maj. Gen. Michael G. Samson during a Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony at Camp Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz.
Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete presided over the ceremony, welcoming Escanillas into the top post while honoring Samson for his military service ahead of his retirement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Nafarrete Cites Visayas as Pillar of Resilience
In remarks delivered during the ceremony, Lt. Gen. Nafarrete underscored the strategic importance of the division's area of responsibility, which covers Western and Central Visayas.
"This region serves as a pillar of resilience. Thus, making the most out of joint partnerships and empowering reservists as crucial force multipliers will be vital in ensuring that it remains so," Nafarrete said.
The statement signals a continued emphasis on civil-military partnerships and the use of reserve forces as the division transitions its focus from active internal security operations toward sustaining the peace it has helped establish across the region.
Samson Credited for Dismantling Guerrilla Fronts in Capiz and Iloilo
Nafarrete credited outgoing commander Maj. Gen. Samson with significant gains in the 3ID's internal security campaign, particularly in the provinces of Capiz and Iloilo, where the division played a central role in defeating communist guerrilla fronts.
Under Samson's leadership, the 3ID's area of responsibility attained Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) status — a classification that was subsequently extended to the provinces of Iloilo and Antique. Nafarrete described the expansion of SIPS status as "a definitive marker" in the organization's internal security campaign.
Escanillas Brings Experience from Negros Oriental Command
Escanillas steps into the division's top post after serving as Assistant Division Commander under Samson, giving him direct familiarity with the 3ID's operations and leadership structure.
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy's "Maalab" Class of 1993, Escanillas is well known in Negros Oriental, where he commanded the 302nd Infantry "Achiever" Brigade from May 2023 to August 2025, according to the Philippine Army.
During that two-year assignment in Negros Oriental, Escanillas led operations that resulted in the dismantling of the South West Front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros — a unit the Army has identified as the backbone of the communist insurgency on Negros Island. His tenure on Negros contributed directly to the 3ID's broader declaration that the island was free of active New People's Army (NPA) guerrilla fronts.
Division Shifts Posture Toward Sustaining Peace
With the command turnover now complete, Escanillas assumes oversight of a division that has already undergone a significant strategic shift — moving away from active internal security operations and toward consolidating and sustaining the peace secured across Western and Central Visayas.
The 3ID's area of responsibility encompasses some of the Visayas' most historically insurgency-affected provinces, and the attainment of SIPS status across multiple provinces represents the culmination of years of ground-level military and civilian cooperation.
Nafarrete's remarks at the ceremony pointed to joint partnerships and the empowerment of military reservists as the two key pillars of the incoming commander's mandate — reflecting a posture more focused on long-term peace maintenance than on active counter-insurgency operations.
By the Numbers
- July 15, 2026 — Date of the Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony at Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz
- Class of 1993 — Escanillas' Philippine Military Academy graduating class ("Maalab")
- May 2023 to August 2025 — Duration of Escanillas' command of the 302nd Infantry "Achiever" Brigade in Negros Oriental
- 3 provinces — Iloilo, Antique, and the 3ID's core area have attained Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) status under the division's campaign
Why This Matters
The change of command at the 3rd Infantry "Spearhead" Division marks a pivotal transition for one of the Philippine Army's most active regional commands, which has been credited with dismantling communist guerrilla fronts across Western and Central Visayas and on Negros Island. Escanillas brings direct operational experience from Negros Oriental — where he led the dismantling of the South West Front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros — into a broader command that is now tasked with consolidating those hard-won gains. Lt. Gen. Nafarrete's emphasis on joint partnerships and reservist empowerment signals that the division's next chapter will be defined less by active combat operations and more by the long-term work of sustaining regional peace and security.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the Philippine Army