Aquino gives 3 officers first stars

President Benigno Aquino III . GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

President Benigno Aquino III has promoted to star-rank the head of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and two other senior military officers, the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced  Saturday.

PSG commander Col. Mateo Dizon and Army Support Command deputy commander Col. Danilo Servando were promoted to brigadier general.

Capt. Manuel Natalio Abinuman, commander of the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet, was promoted to commodore.

The AFP said Dizon received his  star on  April 17. He has been PSG commander since the beginning of President Aquino’s term on June 30, 2010.

Dizon was also in the PSG during  the term of the President’s late mother, former President Corazon Aquino. He was previously commander of the AFP’s antiterror unit, the Joint Special Operations Group based in Camp Aguinaldo.

Servando’s promotion took effect on April 19.

Servando is a former AFP spokesperson and public affairs director in the Department of National Defense.

He belongs to Philippine Military Academy Class 1981.

Abinuman will get his star on April 29.

He is the former deputy commander of Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao. He belongs to PMA Class ’82. Dona Z. Pazzibugan