Duterte to lead Army rites

President Rodrigo Duterte will be gracing the parade of the Army on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, to mark its 120th anniversary. The Army said the parade would feature some of its infantry and armored units. The photo above shows some of the Army’s MII3 armored personnel carrier. INQUIRER FILE

President Rodrigo Duterte will lead the 120th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City on Tuesday afternoon, his first as Commander-in-Chief.

The Army’s anniversary is held every March 22 but this year’s parade and review was moved to April 4 to accommodate the availability of the invited guests, said Army spokesperson Col. Benjamin Hao.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año, and the Army commander, Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda, will join the President during the ceremony.

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The parading troops will come from the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, Special Operations Command, Army Reserve Command, 51st Engineering Brigade, a company-size all female contingent, and an Army K9 unit.

The Army will also display its wheeled- and tracked-armored vehicles, Army ambulances, and Army engineering and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) equipment, as well as floats for HADR and Army transformation roadmap.

Twenty-three soldiers, civilian employees and stakeholders will also be given recognition for their outstanding services.

Three local government units and a non-government organization will also receive recognition  for their support to the Army’s peace initiatives.

The Army, the largest branch of the AFP, is currently composed of 85,000 men and women. Frances Mangosing/CBB/rga