Who's going to be next Army chief?

From InterAksyon (Feb 4): Who's going to be next Army chief?

Who is going to be next Army chief? A military source said the commander of the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) has the inside track for the position when Lieutenant General Noel Coballes retires this Friday.

Nolcom chief Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang declined to talk.

Catapang is a member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Dimalupig” Class of 1981 and classmate of Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista.

Coballes, on the other hand, belongs to the PMA “Mapitagan” Class of 1980.

A Malacanang statement Monday issued by Presidential Communications Secretary Edwin Lacierda said President Benigno Aquino III will attend Coballes’s retirement ceremony at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

“At the end of the week, President Aquino will witness the retirement ceremony of Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes, Commanding General of the Philippine Army, and the consequent Change of Command Ceremony,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda, however, did not mention who will succeed Coballes.

Earlier, Catapang said he is honored if given the opportunity to lead the 90,000-strong Army.

“Kahit saan po tayo makarating basta mabigyan tayo ng panibagong trabaho, trabaho lang po tayo (Wherever we’re appointed, as long as we’re given a job, we’ll do the job),” Catapang said.

“Sa akin kasi sanay na ako sa kung ano man ‘yung binibigay na trabaho gagampapan lang. Kaya nga kung ano, what does it take to be a CGPA (Commanding General, Philippine Army), malaking question mark ‘yun dahil malaking trabaho ‘yan. Kaya let’s just wait kung ano ang darating basta as of now naka-focus lang ako sa trabaho ko. Kita niyo naman maganda ‘yung ginagawa natin,” he added.

“I’m used to accepting whatever is given to me. Heading the Philippine Army is a big job. Let’s just wait for the announcement. I’m focused on work. You can see we’re performing well.”

A second source said the commander of the 4th Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, is “highly considered” by higher-ups for the Nolcom position that Catapang would soon vacate.

Visaya belongs to the PMA “Matikas” Class of 1983.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/80052/whos-going-to-be-next-army-chief