President Benigno Aquino III presides over the change of command between outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista and Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. at Camp Aguinaldo on Friday, July 18. GMA News
A former rebel soldier who previously supported a coup attempt against President Benigno Aquino III's mother assumed the top military post on Friday.
Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. formally replaced Gen. Emmanuel Bautista as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff during a change of command ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday morning.
President Aquino, AFP commander-in-chief, attended the event.
Bautista relinquished the military leadership two days before he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.
Catapang was AFP vice chief of staff before being named military chief. He also was commander of the Tarlac-based Northern Luzon Command and of the Army's 7th Infantry Division based in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.
When he was still a junior military officer, Catapang joined the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), a group instrumental in the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution which toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
A former RAM officer also told GMA News Online that Catapang was supportive of the 1987 coup attempt against President Aquino's mother, the late President Corazon Aquino.
"He (Catapang) was with us in PMA (Philippine Military Academy) back in 1987 when he and his classmate raised the inverted Philippine flag in support of (then-Col. now Senator Gregorio) Honasan," the source said.
Honasan served as one of the leaders of the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa which attempted to overthrow the government of Mrs. Aquino.
"He (Catapang) was with us in PMA (Philippine Military Academy) back in 1987 when he and his classmate raised the inverted Philippine flag in support of (then-Col. now Senator Gregorio) Honasan," the source said.
Honasan served as one of the leaders of the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa which attempted to overthrow the government of Mrs. Aquino.
The same source said Catapang was not involved in succeeding coup attempts against MRs. Aquino.
Both Catapang and Bautista belong to the Philippine Military Academy "Dimalupig" Class of 1981.
To continue fight vs. insurgents
Meanwhile, in his assumption speech, Catapang vowed to continue the governments's counter-insurgency program — the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.
"Since the start of IPSP Bayanihan in 2011, 44 out of the 75 provinces have been declared peaceful and ready for further development," he said.
"As regards to the ASG, they have been contained in the specific areas of Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu," he added, referring to the Abu Sayyaf group.
Catapang also asked the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to remain committed to peace while waiting for the Congress to pass the final agreement.
He also urged those involved in the armed struggle to give up their fight in order to allow the country to move forward.
"I also ask the remaining NPA remnants who from a high of 24,000 members in the late 1980s have now dwindled and many of them have been returning back to the national mainstream," Catapang said.
Meanwhile, Catapang also vowed to continue the implementation of the AFP's 15-year Transformation Roadmap that seeks to professionalize and further improve the capabilities of the military institution.
"The AFP Transformation Roadmap is intended to prepare the AFP to confront the new and more complex security challenges of the 21st century," he said.
"These global challenges include global terrorism, climate change and global warming, global transnational crime that include human smuggling, drug trafficking, arms smuggling and cyber crime," he added. "These also include regional maritime concerns, territorial disputes, the protection of our Exclusive Economic Zone and the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
Meanwhile, in his assumption speech, Catapang vowed to continue the governments's counter-insurgency program — the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.
"Since the start of IPSP Bayanihan in 2011, 44 out of the 75 provinces have been declared peaceful and ready for further development," he said.
"As regards to the ASG, they have been contained in the specific areas of Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu," he added, referring to the Abu Sayyaf group.
Catapang also asked the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to remain committed to peace while waiting for the Congress to pass the final agreement.
He also urged those involved in the armed struggle to give up their fight in order to allow the country to move forward.
"I also ask the remaining NPA remnants who from a high of 24,000 members in the late 1980s have now dwindled and many of them have been returning back to the national mainstream," Catapang said.
Meanwhile, Catapang also vowed to continue the implementation of the AFP's 15-year Transformation Roadmap that seeks to professionalize and further improve the capabilities of the military institution.
"The AFP Transformation Roadmap is intended to prepare the AFP to confront the new and more complex security challenges of the 21st century," he said.
"These global challenges include global terrorism, climate change and global warming, global transnational crime that include human smuggling, drug trafficking, arms smuggling and cyber crime," he added. "These also include regional maritime concerns, territorial disputes, the protection of our Exclusive Economic Zone and the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
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