Major services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday, Jan. 8, threw support to Gen. Andres Centino a day after he was re-appointed as the AFP Chief of Staff and rumor of an alleged destabilization plot triggered security concerns at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
The Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Navy (PN), and Philippine Air Force (PAF) expressed solidarity with Centino as they vowed to remain a professional organization amid the change of leadership that saw Medal of Valor awardee, Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, out of the top post after serving for a brief five months.
“Being a professional organization, the PN wholly supports the decision of the Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The Philippine Navy will continue to fulfill its mandate to support the mission of the AFP in protecting and securing our country and our people,” Commander Benjo Negranza, Navy spokesperson, said.
This was echoed by PAF spokesperson, Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, who underscored that the organization will remain loyal to the Flag and Constitution.
“As a major service of a professional AFP, the PAF remains a stable and dependable organization, and supports the decision of the Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” Castillo said.
“The PAF remains loyal to our flag and our Constitution, and as a force provider, we will stay committed to our mandate to support the mission of the AFP in securing and defending our country and people,” she added.
In an earlier statement, Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the PA “is a professional organization,” and they respect the decision of Marcos to re-appoint Centino as the head of the 150,000-strong AFP.
“We are confident that Gen. Centino, who earlier led the AFP from November 2021 to August 2022, will support the Philippine Army in attaining its vision of becoming a world-class land force that is a source of national pride by 2028. The organization is assured on its strides in its modernization thrusts,” Trinidad said.
Clarification
Meanwhile, Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesperson, reiterated that the security situation at Camp Aguinaldo remained normal after rumor spread that the Philippine National Police was placed on full alert in anticipation of the supposed resignation of “all” Department of National Defense (DND) officials hours after Centino officially took helm at the AFP.
Aguilar also denied that the mobilization of mobile trucks at the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City was part of security measures for the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
“The AFP assures everyone that everything is normal. The movements of PNP assets are part of the simulation exercises in preparation for the Feast of the Black Nazarene,” Aguilar said.
But aside from Centino’s reappointment, another angle blamed for the spread of the rumor about the supposed resignation of DND officials was the failure of DND Officer in Charge Jose Faustino Jr. to secure a permanent appointment to the Defense department.
Faustino has been serving as the DND caretaker in an acting capacity although he is already eligible for an official appointment as the DND Secretary since the one-year-ban that he had to serve already ended in November 2022.
Faustino retired as AFP Chief in November 2021 and was appointed as DND Officer in Charge by Marcos in July 2022. Under the law, retired military officials may only be appointed to a government post one year after their retirement.
Whatever the reason for the circulation of the rumor, Aguilar assured the public that the AFP is ready to protect the interest of the public and the country.