Miranda is acting Army chief

From Rappler (Dec 9): Miranda is acting Army chief

(UPDATED) Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana suggests that Lieutenant General Glorioso Miranda could still be replaced and he will go back to his post as AFP vice chief of staff



ACTING ARMY CHIEF. Lieutenant General Glorioso Miranda, who retires in less than a year, is acting army chief

Lieutenant General Glorioso Miranda was named acting chief of the 85,000-strong Philippine Army, replacing Lieutenant General Eduardo Año who was recently appointed chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (READ: Rebel hunter Año is new AFP chief)

Miranda vowed to continue the programs of Año, his mistah at the Philippine Military Academy Matikas Class of 1983.

But Miranda's appointment raises questions among military observers and some Army officers who spoke to Rappler.

He has less than one year left in the service before he reaches the retirement age of 56 in October 2017.

But the law requires that appointees to the major services – army, navy, and air force – should have at least one year left in the service.

Section IV of Republic Act No. 8186 states: “except for the Chief of Staff of the AFP, no officer shall be assigned/designated to the aforementioned key positions or promoted to the rank of Brigadier General/Commodore or higher if he has less than one (1) year of active service remaining prior to compulsory retirement.”

Temporary post?

The plans for Mirada are not clear. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters after the ceremony that Miranda might not be relieved as AFP vice chief of staff because he might have to return to the post.



It suggests that President Rodrigo Duterte has not chosen who he'd want to command the Army and Miranda is only holding the post temporarily. But Lorenzana was laughing when Rappler pressed him for answers.

Asked who will replace Miranda as AFP vice chief of staff, Lorenzana replied: "Huwag muna kasi hindi pa namin i-relieve siya e (Let's not talk about it yet because we will not relieve him from that post yet)."

Why did they opt to appoint an acting chief of the Army? "Acting siya kasi nga hindi pa makapag... baka mapalitan siya e di babalik siya sa vice chief (He's only serving in acting capacity because .... he might be replaced so he will go back to his post as vice chief of staff)," Lorenzana said.

When pressed to say when Miranda will go back to his post as AFP vice chief, Lorenzana replied: "Hindi naman. Kung lang... (Well, no. It' s not sure yet)," said Lorenzana.

The Army could also be served by an Officer in Charge (OIC) while Duterte decides who to appoint to the post. An OIC, however, will not have the power to decide, for example, how to move the troops and how to spend its finances.

As "Acting chief," Miranda will have all the vast powers of position.

MISTAHS. AFP chief Lieutenant General Eduardo Año and Army chief Lieutenant General Glorioso Miranda are classmates at the PMA Matikas Class of 1983

 

Miranda also served as acting AFP chief when General Hernando Iriberri retired in April 2016 at the tail-end of the term of President Benigno Aquino III.

The arrangement allowed President Rodrigo Duterte to appoint his own his own AFP chief when he assumed office.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/154999-acting-army-chief-glorioso-miranda