ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Teodoro: Next AFP chief must be a master strategist, not just 'brave'

Teodoro: Next AFP chief must be a master strategist, not just 'brave'

Published Jul 20, 2026 03:05 pm

At A Glance

  • Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the next Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff should be a strong manager and strategist, stressing that effective leadership requires sound execution, planning, and alliance-building rather than simply projecting toughness.
  • Teodoro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will decide outgoing AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.'s successor, declining to identify the officers under consideration or disclose how many names were submitted for the President's selection.
  • The defense chief urged the incoming military leader to sustain the AFP's external defense shift while continuing internal security efforts, as he praised General Brawner for helping shape the country's defense strategy and strengthening ties with allied militaries.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left) is joined by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (right) and Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (partially hidden behind) during the 90th anniversary of the AFP at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Dec. 19, 2025. (Courtesy of RTVM livestream)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left) is joined by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (right) and Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (partially hidden behind) during the 90th anniversary of the AFP at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Dec. 19, 2025. (Courtesy of RTVM livestream)
As General Romeo Brawner Jr. retires as the military chief, the next Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should be a strong manager and strategist instead of simply projecting toughness, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Monday, July 20.
Brawner will complete his three-year fixed term as AFP chief of staff on Tuesday, July 21, under Republic Act No. 11939. He is the first military chief to serve the full tenure prescribed by the law after 41 years in service.
Asked whether the next AFP chief should be “braver” in dealing with external defense challenges, Teodoro said leadership requires more than courage.
“It is not about being brave. It is about project management, execution of plans, and engagement with counterparts because our alliances are extensive. The next chief of staff must know how to run things well,” the DND chief said.
The defense chief declined to identify the officers being considered to succeed Brawner, saying the decision rests solely with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
"There are recommendees before the President. It is up to him," Teodoro said.
He also refused to disclose how many officers were included in the shortlist: “I cannot say because that information is restricted to the President. I think he will make the announcement.”
The Marcos administration has shifted the AFP's focus toward external defense amid growing security challenges in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
At the same time, the military continues internal security operations following the weakening of communist insurgency and the government's efforts to preserve peace in Mindanao.
Teodoro said the incoming AFP chief should pursue both missions without changing the military's current direction.
“There will be no changes to all the plans that have already been laid out, including those involving credible deterrence building measures,” he said.
“Even as we focus on external defense, internal security should not be neglected, especially in areas where the CPP-NPA-NDF [Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front] has become more desperate and more open in its activities,” he continued.
“We also need to maintain peace and stability in Mindanao. What we are studying is the link between internal security and external defense, such as foreign illegal malign influence. It has many roots. They are many agents embedded here and those also have to be eliminated,” the defense chief added.
Losing an ace
Meanwhile, Teodoro paid tribute to Brawner, saying the outgoing AFP chief helped shape the country's external defense strategy and strengthened military partnerships with allied nations during his tenure.
“It will be very hard to lose him because we developed the strategies for external defense engagement together. He has built credibility with his counterparts in other countries. His replacement should be as good as him or even better,” he said.
Asked for a message to the next AFP chief, Teodoro simply said, “Good luck.”
Teodoro also said it has yet to be decided whether Brawner will be given a position at the Department of National Defense after his retirement.
“We will discuss that with the President and with him,” he said.

Related Tags

AFP DND Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Romeo Brawner Jr.
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ static_articles_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.