The powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, September 29, approved the appointments of 24 general/flag and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The Commission, during its plenary session presided by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, concurrent CA chairman, confirmed the appointment of Rear Admirals Rommel Anthony SD Reyes and Caesar Bernard N. Valencia, and Major Genera Fernando V. Felipe.
Also confirmed as brigadier generals were Santiago I. Enginco and Ireneo F. Sebastian.
Likewise confirmed were 19 colonels in the different branches of the AFP.
Leah Santiago was confirmed as colonel of the Philippine Army. She graduated third place from PMA and was a summa cum laude.
Their confirmation was sought by Representative Luis Ferrer IV, CA National Defense committee chairman.
Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa, a Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduate, asked Reyes, a naval tactician and naval inspector general, what is the position of the AFP should Congress has to funds to buy fishing vessels to be manned by a Philippine naval militia to counter China’s militia.
Reyes, who has 33 years in government service, said he is not in an official capacity to comment but that the AFP respects ‘’the wisdom of our leaders’’ on the country’s internal and external affairs.
Pressed to give his personal views on the matter by dela Rosa, Reyes said he is more than willing to discuss in detail on how to enhance maritime security the way the AFP approaches is ‘’we consider conventional and unconventional, symmetric or asymmetric.’’