FOR those of us who have covered the Armed Forces of the Philippines for years, there are officers you report on—and then there are officers you remember not only for their professionalism but also for their approachability and genuine concern for people. Brigadier General Eliglen “Glen” Villaflor belongs firmly in the latter.
Long before the Joint Special Operations Command was activated, many journalists first encountered Villaflor in Basilan, when he commanded the 4th Special Forces Battalion at a time when Abu Sayyaf Group activity gripped the province. Those were difficult years. Communities lived in fear and progress felt fragile. Under his command, however, the 4th Special Forces Battalion became one of the units that helped turn the tide. Through intelligence-driven operations and close coordination with local leaders, his men weakened ASG strongholds and recovered firearms and explosives. Equally important, they helped restore trust between communities and the military.
That same steady leadership defined Villaflor’s tenure as the first commander of JSOC. From its roots as the Joint Special Operations Group, JSOC grew into a full-fledged command under his watch, supporting both internal and external security operations. Between 2022 and 2025, JSOC conducted 52 joint operations that neutralized high-value targets and recovered critical equipment—no small feat for a newly activated command finding its footing.
During the Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony on December 12 at Camp Aguinaldo, AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner Jr. rightly described Villaflor as the cornerstone of JSOC’s growth. It was a fitting tribute to an officer who valued innovation and jointness long before they became institutional buzzwords.
As JSOC welcomes its new commander, Brigadier General Rosendo C. Abad Jr., it does so on a foundation shaped by Villaflor’s quiet discipline and operational clarity. For those of us who have followed his career—from Basilan to the national stage—this is not just a retirement. It is the closing of a chapter written in genuine service and results.
Thank you, General Glen Villaflor. Congratulations on a career well served.
