manila philippines – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday shortened the term of the military chief of staff he appointed five months ago and replaced him with a retired general, without explaining the surprise move.
Marcos’ office has announced the replacement of Lieutenant General Bartolome Bacalo, who received the highest military award for bravery in battle when he was a young army officer. His three-year term as Bacarro he was due to end in August 2025.
Lieutenant General Andres Centino, the chief of staff Bacarro replaced last August, was appointed by Marcos to the highest post in the 144,000-strong army. Sentino, who was due to retire next month, was selected from among a dozen senior generals to serve a new three-year term.
Asked for his reaction to his dismissal, Bacalo told reporters Friday night without elaborating in a text message that the military would support the new military commander.
A new law that came into force last year fixed the term of office for the army’s chief of staff to three years, while the commander-in-chief began reforms and a long-underfunded army to confront Muslim and communist insurgency. giving more time to drive a year-long campaign to modernize the In the disputed South China Sea, the Philippines claims sovereignty over islands, islets and reefs disputed by other coastal states.
The appointment of the military’s chief executive is a sensitive decision for an army with a history of defiance, an attempted coup, past corruption scandals and accusations of human rights violations. Efforts have been made over the years to instill professionalism in the military and to insulate it from the country’s traditionally chaotic and corrupt politics.
During a ceremony to change command at the capital’s main military camp on Saturday, Bacalo handed Centino his saber, a symbol of military leadership, and thanked the military, his family and the president.Marcos was not present at the ceremony. However, it was attended by his entourage, including Executive Director Lucas Bersamin.
In his speech, Bersamin emphasized how impressed he was with the smooth transition of the military leadership, and said politicians should follow suit in order to avoid the post-election chaos that happened in the United States.
“Continue this tradition of mutual respect and due consideration of the qualifications of fellow officers to make the organization possible … so we can move forward instead of looking back,” Berthamin said. rice field.
Marcos called on him and other key presidential advisers to show the “greatest respect” to Baccaro’s battlefield exploits, and said the general could be given another government post after completing his military career. I hinted at something.
In 1991, Bacaro received the Military Medal of Valor for thwarting an attack by about 150 communist guerrillas in a northern Philippine town. Wounded in his thigh by rebel fire, he robbed a dump truck and crashed into a fence to free government militiamen who had been detained.
