MANILA, Philippines -- General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. inspects troops on board a "white carabao" for the last time as an active duty officer, before he retired and relinquished his post as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff to Lieutenant General Alexander Yano in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday. Video taken by INQUIRER.net reporter Joel Guinto.
Arroyo lauds Esperon for ‘job superbly done,’ welcomes Yano
INQUIRER.net First Posted 15:35:00 05/12/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo congratulated retired General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. for a “job superbly done” as the former Armed Forces chief and gave his blessings to his successor Lieutenant General Alexander Yano.
"To General Esperon, I commend you for a job superbly done, and to General Yano, I welcome you to a job so tailor-made for you," she said during the Change of Command Ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo Monday.
“The men and women of the Armed Forces are doubly fortunate for having been well-led by General Esperon and for having a man of General Yano's talent and character to lead them forward,” she said.
Arroyo commended Esperon for his “legendary audacity” in the military's efforts to break down the communist rebellion in the country and bring peace in Mindanao, citing him for his services in heading the capture of Camp Rajamudah, a major Moro Islamic National Liberation Front camp in Cotabato in 2000, and the rescue of the Dos Palmas hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf Group in 2001.
She also praised Esperon for “his services as Group Commander of the Presidential Security Group in 2002 when he was struggling as a widower and single parent.”
In the same turnover ceremony, Arroyo gave her vote confidence to Yano who she said was the first chief of staff to come from Mindanao.
"We count on you, therefore, to help bring lasting peace to your native island of Mindanao. […] I can think of nothing more desirable for the people in Mindanao and our nation than peace during our administration and, hopefully, peace during the tour of duty of the son of Mindanao," she said.
Arroyo also gave Yano the task of taking over the military’s pursuit of its anti-insurgency goal in 2010, saying he is “expected to bring the anti-insurgency campaign […] from a snowball to an avalanche towards the defeat of the rebels by 2010.”
The President also commended Yano for having realized the “role of the AFP in contributing to development and to fighting poverty.”
She vowed to back the new leadership in the military, saying the government will allocate P1 billion for the AFP's Kalayaan Barangay (Free Village) Project and will increase soldiers' base pay by 10 percent to compliment the military’s capability upgrade program and improve operations against counter-insurgency.
"The national leadership is behind you, behind you and the AFP in your important mission. We will support you with resources and political will to provide you the wherewithal in your job," she said.
Nicole Arce, Contributor
Copyright 2008 INQUIRER.net. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
