BGEN BENJAMIN DE LEON HAO is the 32nd Commander of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army. He is a member of PMA “BIGKISLAHI” Class of 1990. He was first assigned in 6th Infantry Division, at the hinterlands of Davao City and then in Maguindanao from 1991 to 1997.
During his military schooling, he finished the following courses: Scout Ranger, Airborne, Intelligence, Psychological Operations, Public Affairs, Basic and Advanced Infantry Officer, and Command and General Staff.
He started his career in Civil-Military Operations (CMO) in 1998 as the Admin Officer of the Office of the Army Chief Public Affairs. Later on, he became the Commander of the 2nd Civil Affairs Unit operating in CALABARZON from 2002 to 2003, and Commandant of the Army’s CMO School from 2003 to 2005.
In his tenure at CMO, he became one of the writers of the Army and AFP CMO manuals and the Army’s Public Affairs manual.
He rose from the various designations stepping up in the hierarchy ladder and became the Chief, Research and Special Concerns of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for CMO (J-7), AFP, from 2006 to 2008, and special project officer of OJ7 that operated in Jolo, Sulu and Basilan in 2007. He was one of the originators of the AFP CMO School, Civil Relations Service, AFP.
His further assignments include: CMO Officer (U7) and Operations Officer (U3) of the deactivated National Development Support Command from 2008 to 2010; CMO Officer (G-7) of the 6ID in 2010 during the post-Ampatuan-massacre crisis; one of the convenors of the “Good Wednesday Group for Peace,” a Cotabato City-based group advocating for peace in Central Mindanao in 2011; Commanding Officer of the 7th Infantry (TAPAT) Battalion, 6ID, PA based in Pikit, North Cotabato from 08 February 2011 to 13 January 2013.
He became the head of the Faculty Department and the Non-Resident Instruction Department of the Academic Center, AFP Command and General Staff College from 2013 to 2015, and Course Director of the AFP CGSC Class 59; Commanding Officer of the CMO Battalion, CMOG, PA from 2015 to 2016; Army Chief Public Affairs from 2016 to 2017 serving two CGPAs.
He was assigned in the Training and Doctrine Command from 2017 to 2019 and held positions as its Chief of Staff; Director of Research and Doctrine Development Center; Director of Combined Arms Center; and Chairman of Army Doctrine Development Board.
In 2019, he was assigned as the Assistant Division Commander for Reservist and Retiree Affairs of 7ID, PA, where he developed the following concepts: Squad Challenge for Army Reserve Forces in 7ID, or SCARF 7; the Strengthening the Army Leadership Attributes of ROTC Students in 7ID, or SALARS 7; and the Big Brother concept supporting the interoperability program of the regular and reserve forces in 7ID.
Before he was appointed as CMO Regiment Commander, his latest designation was being the Commander of Task Group Ugnay, an information operations task group organized by 7ID from 2022 to 2023.
He finished his Masters in Development Communication at the University of the Philippines–Open University in 2010 and became Asian Institute of Management Bridging Leadership Fellow in 2012. His professional military studies include researches on “The Roles of Military Wives in the Affairs of the AFP” and “Expanding the Roles of Female Soldiers in Internal Security Operations”.
He is 54 years old, married to the former Ms. Arleen Bunag, both from Malabon City. They both now live in Capas, Tarlac.
