MANILA, Philippines — The reappointment of Gen. Andres Centino to head the military was a way to mend issues around seniority in the Armed Forces of the Philippines leadership, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Sunday.
Centino replaced Lt. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, who took over his post in August 2022. Centino previously served as the AFP chief of staff from Nov. 12, 2021 to Aug. 8, 2022.
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“We are rationalizing seniority [in the AFP] because Gen. Andy Centino has four stars, and Bob Bacarro has three stars,” Marcos said in Filipino during an interview with reporters en route to Switzerland where he will attend the World Economic Forum, as seen in a video from The STAR.
“So we need to fix that because there will be trouble among the bottom ranks,” he added.
Bacarro was supposed to be the first AFP chief of staff with a fixed three-year term.
The chief executive also said the reappointment of Centino was a way to boost the morale of military officials.
“There were some comments that were mentioned: ‘What if that is extended, we have no hope for a promotion.’ That is not right. It will bring down their morale,” Marcos said in Filipino.
“So we asked the military. We fixed the seniority,” he added.
The sudden change of command at the AFP caused confusion and prompted former Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr. to quit his post.
Faustino was replaced by former AFP chief and Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr.
Marcos praised Galvez, calling him “very, very experienced.”
“As soon as he took his oath, he knew already, he held a command conference. I think he will slide into the position really easily,” he said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico