Two military officers were given new designations following a movement in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) hierarchy.
Col. Medel Aguilar will now be the acting AFP spokesperson while Col. Constancio Espina II was the new Philippine Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Command and Control, Communications, and Cyber Systems (G6).
Aguilar will take over the helm of Col. Ramon Zagala, who was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the new head of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and Senior Military Assistant to the President (SMAP).
As the acting AFP spokesperson, Aguilar will be tasked to promote the military’s thrust and programs and answer critical issues that will surround the organization.
Prior to the new post, Aguilar served as the deputy commander of the AFP’s Civil Relations Service (CRS), a unit which engages the public through its information and community relations programs.
In 2016, he became the spokesperson of the Cebu-based Central Command (CentCom) before being designated as the Philippine Army Provost Marshall in 2019 where he helped ensure the discipline, law, order, and safety of all personnel within the PA.
He also became the commander of the 10th Civil-Military Operations Battalion of the 10th Infantry “Agila” Division and commanding officer of the 49th Infantry Battalion of the 9th Infantry “Spear” Division from 2014 to 2015.
Aguilar is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1992 and accomplished the Command and General Staff Course in 2013. He also has a Master’s Degree in Management from the Asian Institute of Management in 2011, and in Public Management Major in Development Security from the Development Academy of the Philippines in 2012.
He is scheduled to meet the members of the Defense Press Corps (DPC) on Thursday, July 7, in his first engagement with the media.
Meanwhile, Espina took over the Army’s G6 post from Col, Patriach Robinson Pel, who assumed as the new Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for C4ISTAR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) of the AFP.
The change of command ceremony took place on Tuesday, July 5, at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Espina belongs to the PMA “Bantay Laya” Class of 1994. He holds a Master’s degree in Management Information from the University of the Philippines (UP) Open University, and Public Management from the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP).
Espina held posts in the Signal Corps including as G6 of the 4th Infantry Division (4ID); assistant chief of staff for operations of the Army Signal Regment (ASR); commanding officer of the Net Battalion, ASR; and numerous cyber posts under the AFP.