Retiring Navy chief all packed, set to go

A day before his retirement, outgoing Navy chief Vice Adm. Mateo Mayuga vowed to immediately vacate his quarters at the Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig City, to give way to its new occupant.

Mayuga said it would be his way of showing respect to the junior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

"In fact I no longer have personal belongings in my quarters. I have started to move them out to my own house. That’s how I show respect to junior officers. It is necessary to respect the junior officers so they will respect you," Mayuga told The STAR.

He said that on Friday, he would encourage 15 other retired officers overstaying at their quarters to join him by vacating their quarters so active officers could occupy the AFP housing facilities.

"I will name them one by one in my speech on Friday. Then I will ask them to join me in vacating the quarters to give way to the junior officers, so there will be no complaints," he said.

Mayuga added that the junior officers have long been suffering from a lack of adequate housing while they are still in the active service, which has caused restiveness in the past.

Mayuga said that they have already recovered 208 quarters from retired military officers and enlisted personnel at the Bonifacio Naval Station.

"Ang hindi ko lang maintindihan, bakit itong mga retired na mga officers ay ayaw iwanan ang mga quarters. Kung unwanted ka na sa isang lugar, dapat magdahan-dahan ka nang magbalot-balot. Kung sasabihin nila na wala silang matuluyan, bibili ako ng container van para doon ilagay ang mga gamit nila (What I cannot understand is why these retired officers are unwilling to leave their quarters. If you are unwanted in a given place, you gradually begin packing. If they will say they have nowhere to go, I will buy a container van where their things will be stored)," Mayuga said.

He said the government is spending for soldiers’ education so they can prepare for their retirement.

Meanwhile, a day before Mayuga formally bows out of the military service, the public is still clueless as to who will replace him.

When asked who sill replace Mayuga, Navy spokesman Commander Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said: "Honestly I don’t know yet. We are as excited as you are."

Bacordo said that, historically, the new commanders are announced within a matter of days. He did not say however, if the new Navy chief will be made known today, as the formal turnover ceremony will be held tomorrow at the Cavite Naval Base in Fort San Felipe, Cavite City.

The AFP Board of Generals has included the names of Rear Admirals Petronilo Magno, Emilio Marayag and Rogelio Calunsag on its shortlist of possible replacements for Mayuga, who retires tomorrow after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Magno is presently the AFP deputy chief of staff for communication, electronics and information systems. Marayag is the Navy chief of staff, while Calunsag is the AFP inspector-general.

Bacordo said Mayuga will be honored today with a naval review at sea composed of 10 ships and gunboats and followed by a testimonial parade and review at the Cavite Naval Base parade grounds.

Prior to his appointment as Navy chief, Mayuga was the AFP inspector-general. He had investigated four ranking generals who were mentioned in the so-called Garci tapes, which allegedly contained wiretapped conversations between President Arroyo and former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

These generals are: AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, who was then Army chief, retired Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, retired Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani and retired Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko.

Mayuga was a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1974. Esperon was his classmate at the PMA. — James Mananghaya