AFP chief: No plans to run for public office

RUNNING for public office in 2016 is not on Armed Forces chief Gregorio Catapang’s mind when he retires this July.

“There are no plans yet…There are none,” he told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo on Monday.

Catapang will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on July 11 after 38 years of military service.

“I will celebrate my birthday and relax because I worked for 38 years,” he said when asked on his plans next month.

Catapang has already started making farewell visits. Last Friday, he was given the highest recognition for foreign nationals in Indonesia.

The AFP chief is scheduled to make exit calls to troops in several area commands in Luzon and Visayas this week.

“Politics is hard….If you will run [for an electoral post] you have to spend money and I might lose my retirement benefits,” he said in jest.

Catapang, however, said he is open to a civilian position if he were offered. But for now, he said there are none and he would take a break for the meantime.

He said he would need to take a break for about three months.

“I still have to work because I want to begin a new chapter of my life. But I still need to…sa tagalog pagmumuni-muni,” he said.

Malacanang has yet to announce the replacement of Catapang. Among the top contenders include Army chief Lieutenant General Hernando Iriberri and Air Force chief Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado. AC