Aquino hints at possible term extension for new AFP chief

Video by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

President Benigno Aquino III has implied a possible term extension for newly installed Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri, who is set to retire next year at the height of preparations for the May 2016 elections.

“Lieutenant General Iriberri, ito ang hamon sa iyo ngayon: Ipagpatuloy ang magandang nasimulan ni Gen. [Gregorio Pio] Catapang [Jr.] at ng mga nauna sa kanya, at lalo pang itaas ang kalidad ng serbisyo ng ating mga kawal. Alalahanin natin: Malapit na naman ang eleksiyon (This is the challenge you are facing now: Continue what General Catapang and the others before him have started, and further raise the quality of service of our soldiers. Let us remember: The elections are drawing near),” Aquino said in his speech during the AFP change of command ceremony at the AFP Commissioned Officers Club in Camp Aguinaldo on Friday.

“Kasama sa inyong tungkulin ang pagsigurong magiging mapayapa at malinis ang pagpili ng ating mga kababayan ng susunod na pinuno. Sa ganitong paraan ninyo masusuklian ang suporta at pagkalingang ibinigay sa inyo ng mamamayang Pilipino, ang ating mga boss (It is included in your mandate to make sure that the elections will be peaceful and orderly. This will be your way of paying back the support and concern given to you by the Filipino people, our bosses).”

READ: Hernando Iriberri is new AFP chief

Iriberri will retire on April 22, 2016. He is the sixth AFP chief under the Aquino administration.

Aquino credited Iriberri’s role during the 2013 elections in Abra. He was the commander of the Army’s 503rd Brigade from January to July 2013.

“Noong 2013 elections naman, nakadestino ang kanyang brigade sa Abra. Sa ilalim ng kanyang pagbabantay at ng kanyang mga tauhan, sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay walang barangay na nagdeklara ng failure of elections sa Abra, at walang naitalang election-related violence sa lalawigan (During the 2013 elections, his brigade was assigned in Abra. Under his and his men’s watch, for the first time, no village declared failure of elections in Abra, and there was no election-related violence in the province),” the President said.

New AFP chief Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri. PHOTO FROM PHILIPPINE ARMY

In his assumption speech, Iriberri also mentioned the preparations for 2016 elections, and cited the peaceful Abra elections in 2013.

“In the conduct of our current security operations, we should not lose sight on starting to pave the way for a peaceful and credible 2016 national elections,” he said.

“It is noteworthy, that together with the Philippine National Police, we have achieved the unthinkable in the province of Abra last 2013 elections, that of having the most peaceful elections the Abreneos ever had,” he added.

He said that the peaceful Abra elections must be the “yardstick for success” in the 2016 polls.

‘Very good’

Aquino said that according to Iriberri’s colleagues, he has a “very good” mark whether on mission, training and exercises.

“Mula nga noong platoon leader pa lamang siya, basta siya mismo ang nagmamando sa operasyon, walang casualty sa kanyang mga tropa (From being a platoon leader, as long as he was leading the operation, his troops would not suffer casualties),” he said.

READ: New PH Army chief is ‘Superman’

Iriberri is the 46th AFP chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The new AFP chief replaced Catapang, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on Saturday. IDL