MANILA – General Andres Centino, the reappointed chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, called on the military to stop the division and “squabbling” in the ranks as he assumed the highest post in the AFP for the second time on Saturday.
He replaced his military academy classmate Lt. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, who took over as the country’s top military commander when he was unceremoniously booted out and left in a “floating” status by President Marcos five months earlier.
Neither the President nor Department of Defense officer in charge Gen. Jose Faustino Jr. attended the unconventional change of command ceremony.
The non-traditional rite was held indoors, inside the Tejeros Hall of the AFP Commissioned Officers Club House, instead of the AFP Grandstand. It was over in less than an hour.
Journalists were not allowed to cover the event, which was attended by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who presided over the ceremony, and Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo Jr.
The program was live-streamed on government channels online.
Fixed three-year term
In his speech, Centino said there should be “professionalism and meritocracy” in the AFP and defended the objectives of Republic Act No. 11709, a law enacted by former President Rodrigo Duterte in April last year that, among others, set a fixed term of three years for eight of the most senior AFP officers, including the chief of staff and the commanders of the Army, Air Force and Navy.
“And as we strive to put this law into effect, we as an organization cannot afford to remain or to be divided, and squabbling on how its interpretation stands to benefit one over the other, and lose focus on what is best for the Armed Forces as a whole,” Centino said.
“Therefore, to implement this law, the [AFP] needs strong and determined leaders capable of steering the organization in the direction of stabilizing unity, and ushering in a truly modern and professional Armed Forces,” he added.
The 143,000-strong military should focus on complying with the most urgent tasks at hand, he said.
“We must ensure that all our resources are employed to definitively address all the current and emerging threats,” Centino said. (Dexter Cabalza © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
