Friday, December 20, 2019

Army gets new chief of staff with Sarsagat set for retirement

From the Manila Bulletin (Dec 20, 2019): Army gets new chief of staff with Sarsagat set for retirement (By Martin Sadongdong)

The Philippine Army (PA) installed its new Chief of Staff (CS) on Friday in a change of command ceremony held at its headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City with the upcoming retirement of outgoing CS, Major General Jesus Sarsagat.

Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay, Army Commanding General, led the turnover ceremony between Sarsagat and the incoming CS, Brigadier General Rowen Tolentino.




(L-R) Brigadier General Rowen Tolentino, Major General Jesus Sarsagat, and Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay (PHILIPPINE ARMY / MANILA BULLETIN)

“I expect objectivity and truthfulness in your feedbacks, transparency and accountability on matters of logistics and finance, and deliberateness in planning and operations,” Gapay told Tolentino during the ceremony.

“Let us continue the tradition of excellence that our predecessors have left us as we bring our organization closer to our goal of becoming a world-class Army that is a source of national pride,” the Army Chief added.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, Army spokesperson, Tolentino is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Makatao” Class of 1989.

He accomplished a course in Project Planning, Development and Management in 2004, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2007 and a Senior Executive Course on National Security in 2015.

He also took the Armor Captain’s Career Course in the U.S. Army Armor School in 2001 and Command and General Staff Course at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College in 2008.

Prior to his assumption, Zagala said Tolentino served as the deputy commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Comand.

He also became the commanding officer of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion and 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Light Armor Division; and Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Chief of the Management Fiscal Office at the Army headquarters.


Meanwhile, Sarsagat, who took the post in January this year, is set to retire from service as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 on Christmas Day, December 25.

After he graduated from PMA as a member of the “Maringal” Class of 1988, Sarsagat served combat duty in Southern Tagalog Region with the First Scout Ranger Battalion, First Scout Ranger Regiment as Platoon Leader, and Intelligence and Operations Officer and as Commanding Officer of Charlie Company, 74th Infantry Battalion until 1993.

It was during his company commander days when he was critically wounded and obtained the “Scar of War” in Jovellar, Albay in 1992, Zagala said.

Sarsagat was also designated as the Chief of Unified Command Staff of Northern Luzon Command, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Legislative Affairs, and as the Secretary Joint Staff at the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

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