Army chief Centino to assume command as new AFP chief

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine Army commanding general Lt. Gen. Andres Centino will be the next chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Centino will assume command of the 140,000-strong AFP on Friday afternoon (Nov. 12), AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said.

It was one of the rare instances in the AFP that the incoming chief of staff has not been announced publicly even hours before the change of command ceremony.

Three Army generals were considered for the post according to military insiders: Centino, Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro and Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol.

Centino will replace AFP chief Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., who has reached the mandatory age of 56. Both are from the Philippine Military Academy “Maringal” Class of 1988.

The incoming AFP chief will be the 11th appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte in a span of six years. He will retire in February 2023, which means he could be the last AFP chief under this administration.

His appointment also comes at a crucial time, with the May 2022 elections a few months away. In September, Duterte warned that he would tap the military to ensure free and orderly elections.

Some of Centino’s recent assignments were as commander of 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro City overseeing Northern Mindanao and as AFP deputy chief of staff for operations at Camp Aguinaldo, the military’s main headquarters.

“He has immense knowledge and experience in leading our troops on the ground and in supporting peaceful efforts to protect our people against various threats,” Zagala said.

TSB