By Martin Sadongdong
The Philippine Navy (PN) held a testimonial parade and review with retreat ceremonies in honor of the retiring Major General Alvin Parreno, former commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), at the Bonifacio Naval Station (BNS) in Taguig City on Friday.
The Philippine Navy (PN) held a testimonial parade and review with retreat ceremonies in honor of the retiring Major General Alvin Parreno, former commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), at the Bonifacio Naval Station (BNS) in Taguig City on Friday. (PH Marine Corps / MANILA BULLETIN)
Rear Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, PN Flag Officer in Command FOIC, lauded Parreno for "offering half of his lifetime serving with dedication and commitment to help transform the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to become a responsive and efficient organization."
The ceremony was accorded to Parreno, who will retire early this month upon reaching 56 years old, by a battalion of sailors and marines at the BNS Parade Ground in honor of his 38 years of service to the AFP.
"ou have not only left your marks of excellence in the walls of the Marine Corps buildings but have likewise earned the respect of everyone," Bacordo told Parreno.
Parreno grabbed headlines when he relinquished his post as top Marine official on October 14, 2019, five months ahead of his scheduled retirement. He had been replaced by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Casem.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) "Sinagtala" Class of 1986, Parreno reportedly had a falling out with his mistah (classmate) -- then PN FOIC and now retired Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad over "personal differences."
Accordingly, Parreno was pushing for the independence of the Marine Corps from the Navy which would make it a separate service unit under the AFP. In the present setup, the PMC is placed under the supervision of the Navy.
However, Empedrad had denied that there was bad blood between him and Parreno, and clarified that the issue had been resolved when the Marine Corps was made a key budgetary unit which enabled them to handle their own budget.
Parreno has held notable positions in the Command before becoming the Marines' 31st commandant. Among them are deputy commandant of PMC; commander of the First Marine Brigade Command and Naval Reserve Command; assistant chief of naval staff for reservists and retirees' affairs; and N9 at the PN Headquarters.
"On behalf of a grateful Navy, thank you for a lifetime of fruitful service and thank you for your legacy of excellence not only to the Marine Corps and the Philippine Navy but to all the AFP units you were assigned ," Bacordo told Parreno.