In observance of the Holy Week, the Philippine News Agency’s online news service will be off on March 29, Good Friday, and March 30, Black Saturday. Normal operations will resume on March 31, Easter Sunday.

— The Editors

Centcom chief gets 3-star rank

By John Rey Saavedra

January 29, 2020, 12:28 pm

<p><strong>PROMOTION</strong>. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr. (right), dons the rank of Lieutenant General to Roberto Toriales Ancan (center), chief of the Central Command in a ceremony held at the AFP General Headquarters in Quezon City on Tuesday (Jan. 28, 2020). Ancan was among the three senior military officials promoted to the next higher rank, following the promotion of Santos to the highest rank of General on Monday (Jan. 27, 2020) at the Department of National Defense office. <em>(Photo courtesy of SN1 Donald Viluan PN/PAOAFP)</em></p>

PROMOTION. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr. (right), dons the rank of Lieutenant General to Roberto Toriales Ancan (center), chief of the Central Command in a ceremony held at the AFP General Headquarters in Quezon City on Tuesday (Jan. 28, 2020). Ancan was among the three senior military officials promoted to the next higher rank, following the promotion of Santos to the highest rank of General on Monday (Jan. 27, 2020) at the Department of National Defense office. (Photo courtesy of SN1 Donald Viluan PN/PAOAFP)

CEBU CITY – The top military official in the Visayas on Tuesday received his three-star rank in a ceremony held at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters in Camp Aquinaldo, Quezon City.

Maj. Abel Potutan, deputy chief of the Civil-Military Operations (U-7) of the Central Command, confirmed in a phone interview that Central Command commander Roberto Toriales Ancan is now a Lieutenant General.

Ancan received his three-star rank after AFP Chief of Staff Felimon Santos Jr. was promoted on Monday to the next higher rank of General (four-star).

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana administered the donning of rank to Santos in a ceremony held at the Department of National Defense (DND) also in Camp Aguinaldo.

Ancan was among the three senior officers of the AFP donned the next higher rank, with Santos himself presiding over the ceremony.

“He previously led the Zamboanga Del Sur-based 1st Infantry Division and is a member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) 'Hinirang' Class of 1987,” the AFP statement posted on its social media page said.

Also promoted were Brig. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr. and Navy Capt. Luzviminda Camacho to the ranks of Major General (two-star) and Commodore (one-star), respectively.

Torres is now the commander of the AFP Civil Relations Service and a member of PMA “Makatao” Class of 1989, while Camacho is the first female chief of the AFP Office for Legislative Affairs, who received her first star as Commodore.

“She made history as the first female Commodore in the Philippine Navy, first woman to command a Navy ship, and first female commander of peacekeepers sent by the Philippines to Haiti,” the post said.

Ancan, being the most senior of the newly-promoted officers, received military honors at the General Headquarters Canopy.

The newly-promoted chief of Centcom landed on top of the class in his Command and General Staff Course Class at the AFP Command and General Staff College and also finished his Masters in Management Major in Public Administration at the Philippine Christian University in Manila.

He underwent military studies such as basic airborne course, scout ranger course, field artillery officer’s basic course, explosives ordnance and disposal course, and took his junior officer close country instructor training at battle wing in Caungra in Queensland, Australia as well as his field artillery officers advance course at the US Army Field Artillery school in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

He also underwent training on peacekeeping course in United Nations Staff College Project in Turin, Italy and Legal Legal Aspects in Support of Civil Authorities at Defense Institute for International Legal Studies at Newport, Rhode Island.

Ancan is a bemedaled military officer, receiving medals, ribbons and badges recognizing his achievements as an officer of the AFP. (PNA)

 

 

Comments