Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), officially received his fourth star and was promoted to the rank of General on Thursday, Oct. 7.
Pres. Duterte, the Commander-in-Chief, administered the donning of rank to Faustino during his visit at the newly-launched Bicol International Airport in Daraga, Albay.
"It is an honor to don these lustrous stars which carry the weight of our obligations to the country and its people. This milestone demands no less than an exemplary performance in the fulfilment of our mandate as soldiers," Faustino said.
Traditional military honors were sheduled to be accorded to Faustino on Friday at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City following his promition to a full-pledged general.
Aside from Faustino, Duterte also donned a new rank to now Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, commander of Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM), in the same occasion.
The AFP Chief obtained his fourth star one month before he reached the mandatory retirement age of 56 on November 12. His promotion was approved by the Commission on Appointments (CA) last Sept. 15.
Faustino took oath as the 56th AFP chief last July 30. He has been serving as AFP Chief for around two months.
He is the 10th officer to be appointed by President Duterte to the top military post since 2016, a move which has earned the ire of some sectors who oppose the "revolving door" policy in the military. The revolving door policy refers to the quick entry and exit of an officer from a certain post.
Last month, a bill was passed in the Senate which mandates a fixed term of three years for military officials holding senior positions and ranks in the AFP, including its Chief of Staff.