Bongbong Marcos tells new AFP chief: Journey will not be an easy one

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro. Photo Courtesy of Southern Luzon Command, AFP/Facebook Page

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Monday that new Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro is the “right leader” for the country’s military.

Marcos made the remark during the change of command ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“It is certain that we have chosen the right leader in General Bacarro to lead the AFP as it marches forward and undertakes a new journey that will eventually pave the way for a much improved and stronger AFP in the days ahead,” Marcos said in his speech.

“I am sure that we will all now know that we have a reliable partner in the AFP under the helm of General Bacarro as we commence the difficult undertaking of rebirth and restoration of the Republic, transforming the country into a haven that is safe, secure, peaceful, and prosperous for all present and future Filipinos to enjoy,” the President added.

According to Marcos, Bacarro’s “strong presence, administrative and operational proficiency, unmatched discipline, and unwavering commitment” will be helpful in his work at the helm of the AFP.

“I know that you know well that the journey will not be an easy one. It will be sometimes treacherous, always complex. It will be difficult and at times seemingly unbearable,” Marcos said.

“But with the AFP beside us, assisting and putting in place the fundamental prerequisites for nation-building, we shall overcome and emerge victorious in the end,” he added.

Bacarro previously led the AFP-Southern Luzon Command.

He graduated in the upper quartile of the Philippine Military Academy “Maringal” Class of 1988.

Bacarro will be the first AFP chief of staff to be given a fixed three-year term, citing the Republic Act No. 11709 signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte.

R.A. 11709 sets a fixed three-year tour of duty for the AFP chief of staff, vice chief of staff, the deputy chief of staff, the major service commanders, unified command commanders, and inspector general “unless sooner terminated by the President.”

Bacarro received the country’s highest military award for combat, the Medal of Valor, after leading an operation to repel a communist guerrilla attack in Isabela in 1991.

READ: Bongbong Marcos picks Azurin as PNP chief, Bacarro as AFP chief-of-staff

JPV