CHANGE OF COMMAND. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the Armed Forces of the Philippines change of command and retirement ceremony in honor of Gen. Andres Centino at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday (July 21, 2023). Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. replaces Centino who reached the mandatory retirement age in February. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday urged newly-installed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. to maintain peace and order to make the Philippines a “safer and more secure nation.”
“Given your extensive experience in safeguarding peace in conflict affected areas, I urge you to recalibrate our internal security operations so that we can deliver public services in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities,” the Commander-in-Chief said during the AFP’s Change of Command ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
“I know your supervision will give rise to a safer and more secure nation where more rebels return to the fold of the law and decide to be productive citizens. At this juncture, allow me to urge you all to work towards an armed forces that is agile and prepared for any contingency,” the President added.
Brawner assumed the new post at the AFP, two days after Malacañang announced his new designation.
Marcos expressed optimism that under Brawner’s leadership, the AFP would continue to ensure the Filipinos’ security and uphold national sovereignty amid pressing challenges.
To help the AFP fulfill its mandate to serve and protect the country, the President renewed his vow to provide support for its modernization efforts.
“As your commander-in-chief, I assure you that this administration is firm in reinforcing this noble pursuit by modernizing the AFP. Along with our efforts to strengthen our external defense capabilities, I ask you to continue working with national government agencies and civilian stakeholders to form archipelagic consciousness amongst Filipinos,” Marcos said.
Brawner replaced Gen. Andres Centino who reached the mandatory retirement on Feb. 4 this year but qualified for another three-year term following the signing of Republic Act 11709.
Under RA 11709, the AFP chief of staff, vice chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, heads of the major services (Army, Navy, and Air Force), unified command commanders, and inspector general will have a three-year term of office "unless sooner terminated by the President."
Marcos honored Centino for demonstrating “exemplary service and resolute commitment to our nation’s peace, order and security.”
“Under your supervision, the AFP has made significant strides in reducing the presence and capabilities of communists and local terrorist groups. In terms of our national security, the AFP has conducted hundreds of maritime air patrols, naval surface patrols as well as deployed hundreds of troops to defend our islands,” he said.
“The AFP also established dozens of littoral monitoring stations and detachments across the country. With regard to our peace support operations, the AFP has facilitated the deployment of military observers to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations in India and Pakistan, to the UN Mission to South Sudan, and to the UN Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic,” he added.
Marcos hoped that Centino would continue to “pursue endeavors that will benefit our fellow Filipinos and our entire nation.”
Centino has been appointed as Presidential Adviser on the West Philippine Sea.
“We have made sure that we don’t lose the talent and the skills and the experience that Gen. Andy has acquired over his 39 years of service and so we have assigned him as presidential adviser on the West Philippine Sea so that we can be sure that all our policies in that regard are continuously evolving from what we had begun,” Marcos said.
Focus on nat'l unity
Brawner, meanwhile, vowed to focus all military efforts on ensuring national unity.
"As I take the helm of the AFP, allow me to articulate the five areas where I wish to focus our efforts. For these focus areas I would like to keep in line with the President's call for national unity. So please allow me Sir, to use the acronym 'UNITY' to better explain these focus areas," Brawner said in his assumption speech.
He also emphasized that the same method was used by then AFP chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro when he took over the military last year.
"'U' is for unification. Internally we will focus on making sure that we have a solid and professional AFP. All members of the AFP whether they are officers, enlisted personnel or civilian human resource should follow the chain of command. Externally we will help unite our communities. We will make sure that the former rebels unite once again with their families as we extend our hands in reconciliation. We will leverage interagency coordination, linkaging, and alliance building in furtherance of our whole-of-nation approach," Brawner stressed.
Brawner said "N" is giving special attention to the normalization process in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, particularly in the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of former fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as stipulated in the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
"I" is for internal security operations, with the AFP defeating the remaining local terrorist groups and the communist insurgency to attain total victory, Brawner said.
"We have to sustain the dividends of peace by making sure that there will be no resurgency of insurgency and terrorism in our country," he added.
Brawner said "T" stands for territorial defense where the AFP will do its best to modernize its personnel, equipment, facilities, processes, and systems so that it can be a "lethal and competent fighting force" capable of defending the country from external aggression.
"Part of this modernization would be a focus on cyber warfare. I see cyber as a great equalizer and we have great potential to be a player in the cyber domain. We shall also actively pursue our international defense and security engagements to strengthen our relations with our allies and partners. We shall actively participate in the United Nations missions to enhance our country's reputation as a peace-loving nation," Brawner said.
Lastly, he said "Y" stands for the youth, as he vowed to exert all efforts best to develop them as future leaders of the country.
"The AFP will do its share in developing our youth, the future leaders and citizens of our nation to be responsible and patriotic defenders of our national identity as a people and of our territorial integrity. one way of doing this is through the proper and relevant conduct of the ROTC's program. This will also coincide with our efforts to develop our reserve force," he added.
Excellent choice
Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense (DND) on Friday lauded Brawner's appointment as military chief.
"The DND lauds the appointment of Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner (Jr.) as the incoming Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), vice General Andres C. Centino, who is set to be appointed as the Presidential Adviser on the West Philippine Sea," DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement.
With more than 30 years of exemplary military service, Andolong said Brawner is an excellent choice to lead the AFP at this crucial stage of continuing internal and external security operations.
"We are confident that Lt. Gen. Brawner will continue to exemplify excellence, innovation, and professionalism as he leads the AFP," Andolong said.
Andolong also said the DND is looking forward to working with Centino in implementing a whole-of-government approach to managing the situation in the West Philippine Sea. (PNA)
