‘Higher post’ awaits Faustino after his removal as acting Army chief
MANILA, Philippines—Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., who was removed from his post as acting commanding general of the Philippine Army, may soon be designated to a higher post in the armed forces.
Faustino was relieved in accordance with Republic Act No. 8186, which required a chief of services to have at least one year remaining in service on the day of his assumption. Faustino was appointed as Army chief in an acting capacity last February with his retirement just months away in November.
“This is unprecedented in the history of the Philippine Army when a commanding general will leave before his time is due. But we had to do it to address some legal infirmities in his designation as commanding general,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said during the Army change of command on Tuesday (May 18).
“I think the higher ups made a mistake because there is a law that says no general officer will be designated as chief of services, that means Army, Navy, Air Force, if they have less than one year in the service before compulsory retirement,” he said.
Last March, Sen. Panfilo Lacson questioned the appointment of Faustino, as he was supposedly not qualified for the post even in an acting capacity because he was retiring in a few months.
Only the position of chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines was exempted from the law’s requirement.
Faustino was named Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Peace and Development after his relief to supervise programs related to the transition process under a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
But Lorenzana said a “higher position” could be waiting for Faustino.
“He has only about less than a year,” Lorenzana said of Faustino.
“There was a very big challenge on the legitimacy of his being commanding general so he had to be removed and he had to be placed in the position of major responsibility, as well while waiting for a designation for a higher position,” he said.
Lorenzana did not specify the higher position that awaits Faustino, but insiders said it could be the highest position in the military—AFP chief of staff.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, who is retiring in July, refused to confirm. “Let’s just wait for the next episode,” he told reporters in Filipino.
Maj. Gen. Andres Centino, commander of the 4th Infantry Division in Northern Mindanao, replaced Faustino as Army chief.
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