AFP chief General Eduardo Año
PHOTO BY JOSEPH VIDAL
The early exit of Gen. Eduardo Año as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief was meant for a smooth transition to his new post as interior secretary, Malacanañang said Saturday.
“The early retirement of AFP Chief of Staff Eduardo Año is to pave the way for a smooth transition to his formal assumption as the incoming Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
Año is scheduled to retire on October 26 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 but President Rodrigo Dutere wanted him to assume post at the DILG on June2.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Friday that he tried to ask President Rodrigo Duterte to extend the stay of Año but Duterte did not budge.
READ: Año exiting AFP on June 2 to start work as DILG chief
“I was trying to persuade the President to extend his services with the AFP, the last time was last night. I said, ‘Can we extend the stay of Gen. Año with the AFP?’ He said, ‘No. Just have the turnover by June 2.’ So that’s it. It’s final,” Lorenzana said during the closing of the two-week Balikatan exercises.
Abella said there was no shortlist yet for the next AFP chief.
“On the next AFP Chief of Staff, the AFP Board of Generals is yet to submit a shortlist of candidates to the President,” he said.
Based on talks among military circles, Lt. Gen. Leonardo Guerrero of the Davao-based Eastern Mindanao Command, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 in December, is likely to replace Año. IDL