President Aquino leads Philippine Army change of command

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 23): President Aquino leads Philippine Army change of command

President Benigno S. Aquino III led the change of command of the Philippine Army Tuesday in Fort Bonifacio expecting the new army chief to carry out the reforms in the service for the benefit of the people. The President acknowledged the outstanding leadership of former Army chief Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, adding his successor must be equally capable.

General Bautista assumed the post of chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). A decorated officer like Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes could perform the same feat achieved by General Bautista, the President said during Tuesday’s change of command ceremony. “Mataas ang tiwala’t kumpiyansa ng sambayanan sa iyo, Lieutenant General Coballes, kaya naman umaasa akong hindi ka madidiskaril sa iyong sinumpaang mandato,” he said.

The President said he is excited about the improvements and development that the Armed forces could have with the approval of the New AFP Modernization Act, which will provide P75 billion in the next five years. Under the present administration, the AFP had a lot of improvement like the acquisition of a new Navy ship, helicopters, military trucks and other vehicles as well as modern firearms for the soldiers, the Chief Executive said.

Another challenge is achieving an ideal population-to-soldier ratio, the President said. He added that since 1986, the number of soldiers remains the same despite the tremendous increase in the population. “Ang atin pong tugon: ang ipadama sa kasundaluhan na nasa likod nila ang pamahalaan; na habang ibinubuwis nila ang kanilang buhay sa serbisyo ay nariyan ang estado upang pangalagaan ang kanilang kapakanan,” he said. Part of this is providing soldiers with better skills through active deployment and training, as well as rest and recreation particularly for those who came from battle.

The President also noted the important role that the police and the military will play during this year’s midterm election. “Ang pagharap ng sambayanan sa panibagong sangandaan sa halalan sa Mayo, ay hudyat din ng panibagong hamon para sa ating kasundaluhan. Habang kaliwa’t kanan ang pagbuhos ng mga patalastas, at ang paminsan-minsang pagtatagisang-dila ng mga kandidatong nangangampanya, tungkulin ng ating mga pulis at sundalong mapanatili ang kapanatagan sa ating taumbayan,” the President said.

A native of Tuguegarao, Cagayan, Coballes was born on February 7, 1958. He started his military career upon graduating from the Philippine Military Academy on February 1980. Posted mostly in Mindanao, Coballes led the assaults for the capture of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Camp Omar and Camp Abubakar. Coballes is a recipient of five Gold Cross Medals for his gallantry in battle. He also took military courses in the US and had participated in trainings and seminars in the US, Mongolia, Thailand, India and Australia. The 55th Army chief is married to the former Ms. Lorna Paglinawan of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte and the couple has four daughters.

Also present during Tuesday’s event were Vice President Jejomar Binay, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas, Transportation and Communication Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=489890