Acting Navy chief ‘happy’ with new post

Despite his controversial appointment, acting Navy Chief Robert Empedrad on Thursday thanked President Duterte and his immediate superiors for his new designation.

“First of all, I thank the President of our republic, the entire national defense, the (Armed Forces of the Philippines) chief of staff. I am happy, and I’m going to do my job as a soldier and as the flag officer in command,” Empedrad said.

The rear admiral made the remarks in an ambush interview on the sidelines of the AFP Day celebrations on Wednesday.

Empedrad replaced Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado, who was fired by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday for “insubordination.”

At a press conference the following day, Lorenzana said he lost “trust and confidence in [Mercado’s] integrity and leadership” because of his threats to derail a weapons contract that was signed last year.

Lorenzana said Mercado was insisting on a particular combat management system (CMS) supplier for the Navy’s first two missile frigates.

This was contrary to what was indicated in the contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries, to which the P15.5-billion Navy frigate program was awarded last year. Lorenzana said Mercado’s insistence on his preferred CMS supplier had held back the program for four months.

Empedrad, however, said the program was still right on track.

Both Mercado and Empedrad worked with the technical working group of the Navy frigate project since it was conceived during the Aquino administration.

“The (purchase of the) frigate has not been delayed. [The program] is continuing and the delivery time is still the same, and we are going to process that,” Empedrad said, adding that the first of two frigates would be delivered in the first quarter of 2020.

Empedrad said the Navy would move forward “with whatever the ongoing projects of the Navy are.”

Empedrad, the former AFP deputy chief of staff for reservist affairs, declined to comment on the unceremonious sacking of his upperclassman, saying: “I am not privy to any reason.”

Empedrad is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1986, while Mercado belongs to PMA Class ’83.

But Lorenzana made it clear that Empedrad would be serving as Navy chief only in an “acting” capacity.

The AFP Board of Generals will still have to vet nominees to the Navy chief’s post and make a recommendation to Mr. Duterte, who is the appointing authority.

“The Navy is a very dynamic organization and I’m happy to be at the helm of the Navy. And I would ask all the members of the Navy—sailors and Marines—to work as a team so that we can move on with what we envision for the Navy,” Empedrad said.