AFP chief Felimon Santos Jr. gets CA nod

CA gives nod to new AFP chief: Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III (8th from right), poses with newly-installed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Felimon T. Santos Jr. (9th from right) along with the rest of the members of the Commission on Appointments (CA) following his confirmation proceedings Wednesday, February 12, 2020, at the Senate. Standing beside Sotto is the first female Commodore Luzviminda Camacho whose promotion to the post was likewise approved by the Body. (Alex Nueva España/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — The powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday confirmed the ad interim appointment of newly-installed chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Felimon Santos Jr.

No CA members objected when a motion was made on the floor for Santos’ confirmation.

Before his appointment as AFP chief in January this year, Santos served as commander of the 7th Infantry Division before becoming the 11th commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command.

READ: Eastmincom head Felimon Santos is new AFP chief

He also once served as the head of the 11th Intelligence Service Unit based in Davao City and became the Army’s Group Commander of Intelligence Service Group.

Before the plenary approval, however, Santos faced various questions from members of CA’s committee on national defense, including the impact of the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States to the military’s capability.

The AFP chief admitted that terminating the VFA may affect half of the 318 scheduled VFA-related activities this year.

READ: Scrapping VFA may affect half of 318 military activities–AFP chief 

Aside from the AFP chief, the CA also confirmed the ad interim appointment of Commodore Luzviminda Camacho.

Three lady senators — Grace Poe, Imee Marcos, and Risa Hontiveros — stood up on the floor to endorse Camacho’s confirmation.