All eyes are on Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay who officially took his oath as the 54th chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Monday.
He succeeded Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. who served the military for 38 years in a joint change of command and retirement ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Gapay, the valedictorian of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) "Sinagtala" Class of 1986, will steer the military in a "very crucial time" when the country is an facing invisible enemy, COVID-19, and the traditional enemies such as communist insurgents and terrorists, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
"He has some tough match ahead as much more is now expected of the Armed Forces in controlling the pandemic in the country and at the same time, in leading the AFP in its traditional job of fighting the enemies of the State like communist insurgency and terrorism," said Lorenzana, who presided over the ceremonies.
"We expect him to do well given his leadership background," he added.
Gapay holds the record for having one of, if not the most number of awards during graduation rites in the history of the PMA. He graduated with 13 awards.
President Duterte, AFP commander-in-chief, was not able to attend the ceremony due to "prior commitments" but he thanked Santos for his service in a virtual message.
Aside from his intelligence quotient (IQ), military officers said Gapay's emotional quotient (EQ) will also be crucial in leading the Armed Forces.
Prior to being the AFP chief, he served as the 61st commanding general of the Philippine Army.
During his stint in the Army, he established the Army mental health center after the killing of Winston Ragos, an ex-Army soldier suffering from mental illness who was killed by policemen in a quarantine checkpoint in Quezon city in April 2020. He also made headlines with his no holds barred criticism of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Jolo, Sulu following the fatal shooting of four Army intelligence operatives in June 2020.
Now that he is already the AFP chief of staff, Gapay said that his leadership will focus on eradicating the threat of communist rebels and terrorists through the implementation of Executive Order No. 70 which established the National Task Force to Eliminate Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) and the newly signed Anti-Terorrism Law.
"Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, we will see to it that the implementation of Executive Order No. 70 and the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 will remain our top priority to place a definite end to terrorism. There will be no let-up as we continue to be at the forefront confronting all these threats," he said.
He also said that the second horizon of the AFP modernization program will continue despite the budget cuts that the military suffered to fund the government's COVID-19 response efforts.
"We will carry on working towards the realization of our AFP modernization and future force structure and we will continue strengthening our cooperation with local and international partners," he said.
He believes that having a modern armed forces is instrumental in preserving the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country even in disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea.
Gapay downplayed Duterte's defeatist stance in the WPS issue against China in his fifth State-of-the-National Address last July 27, saying the President was only "adapting a realistic and pragmatic strategy in confronting the problems without undermining our national interest."
"He has never given any instruction to stop the Armed Forces from patrolling the area day in, day out. Our Philippine Air Force and Navy continue to patrol our area in the West Philippine Sea. So still, as part of the national direction in addressing the issue, we still abide by resolving this conflict peacefully and based on the rule of law," he added.
Duterte said in his SONA that China is in possession of the disputed waters since they have superior military and arms than the Philippines.
Gapay said he needs the support and cooperation of the public to help the military achieve its mandate of protecting the people and defending the State.
"I am making a... call on our fellow Filipinos to join us in our fight against terrorism, fear, deception and the pandemic. There is no better time but now to... call for unity," he said.
Meanwhile, Lorenzana hinted that Santos' retirement might rather be shortlived.
"I don't know if his retirement will last because he might be tapped again to lead the government," he said.
Duterte is known for his penchant for the military, with retired generals often appointed to lead various government offices.
Santos faced the challenges of commanding the military when the pandemic began earlier this year.
He described his career as "fruitful and full of blessings" but "with the occasional speed bumps of challenges."
One of the biggest challenges Santos had faced since assuming the post on Jan. 4 was when he tested positive for COVID-19 in March, a time where the military was mobilized to enforce the lockdown in Metro Manila, and later in Luzon, to curb the spread of the virus. He recovered a month later.
During his stint, more than 1,050 military and civilian doctors and nurses in different treatment facilities were deployed to support the country's health care workers.
Over 200 more AFP personnel were fielded in emergency quarantine facilities while at least 14,213 soldiers were assigned in quarantine assistance stations nationwide.
While confronting the pndemic, the AFP, under Santos' stint, also sustained significant gains in internal security operations against various communist and local terrorist groups.
A total of 3,808 New People's Army members and supporters were neutralized from Jan. 1 to July 30, 2020, including 134 that were killed and 150 that were apprehended in legitimate and intelligence-driven operations.
At least 3,524 of them surrendered to authorities while 885 firearms, 313 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and 164 encampments were seized within the same period.
The AFP has also neutralized a total of 88 Abu Sayyaf Group militants, 37 of whom were killed while four were apprehended in numerous military operations.
Santos thanked the President for his trust in giving him a chance to lead the AFP as he expressed confidence that Gapay will exceed the expectations set on him.
"Your track record, numerous accomplishments, expertise, and competency will give you an added advntage despite the challenges of the office," Santos told Gapay, his "mistah."