West Philippine Sea commander takes helm of Air Force

Photo by Frances Mangosing/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez has formally taken charge of the 19,000-strong Philippine Air Force.

President Rodrigo Duterte led the change of command ceremony at the Villamor Air Base on Friday afternoon.

Briguez took command from Lt. Gen. Galileo Kintanar Jr.

Prior to his new assignment, Briguez was the commander of the unit that oversees the Philippine claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Sinagtala” Class of 1986, Briguez graduated with distinction and ranked second out of 174 cadets.

He also finished top of his class when he took the military pilot training in 1988.

Some of his previous assignments include: vice commander of the Air Force, chief of air staff of the Air Force, commandant of cadets at the PMA, and assistant chief of air staff for operations at the Air Force.

He will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on January 17, 2020. /kga