Noy has final say on PA leadership — AFP chief

From the Daily Tribune (Jan 7): Noy has final say on PA leadership — AFP chief

The selection process for the next chief of the 80,000-strong Philippine Army (PA) has started, but Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista maintained that President Aquino, who is also the Commander in Chief, has the prerogative to appoint his choice.

“The selection process is ongoing,” Bautista told Camp Aguinaldo reporters during a chance interview yesterday during a turnover of P300,000 cash donations, facilitated by the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) to the ABS-CBN’s Sagip Kapamilya Foundation.

“There are many qualified to be CGPA (commanding general, Philippine Army) and rest assured that the senior leadership is evaluating,” Bautista also said.

Part of the selection process in the AFP is the convening of the Board of Generals which recommends a shortlist of officers to be submitted to the President, through Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

Incidentally, Nolcom chief Lt. Gen Gregorio Pio Catapang, who was also present during the event, was among the top contenders to the Army post.

The Tribune yesterday reported that Catapang, along with Army 7th Infantry Division (ID) chief Maj. Gen. Hernando Iriberri, is among those being groomed to become commanding general of the 80,000-strong Army.

Both Catapang and Iriberri were described as qualified to succeed incumbent Army chief Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes, who is reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 on Feb. 7.

Bautista, however, was mum on the chances of Catapang, who is his “mistah” from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1981 which is now considered as the ruling PMA class both in the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

On the other hand, Iriberri is a member of the PMA Class of 1983.

Bautista, however, stressed that based on the rules, the President can appoint an officer with the rank of colonel as commanding general of the Army or even as AFP chief.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/noy-has-final-say-on-pa-leadership-afp-chief