Pres. Aquino Appoints Iriberri as 46th AFP Chief of Staff

(PNA) – President Benigno S. Aquino III formally appointed on Friday Lt. Gen. Hernando Delfin Carmelo A. Iriberri as the 46th Chief of Staff of the 120,000-strong Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Iriberri, the former commanding general of the Philippine Army, will replace outgoing AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. who will reach the military retirement age of 56 on Saturday.

The President spearheaded the change of command ceremony at the Tejeros Hall of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

In his speech, President Aquino urged the new AFP chief of staff to continue the good leadership of Catapang and other former chiefs of staff.

”Lt. Gen. Iriberri, my challenge to you now: Continue the good deeds that Gen. Catapang and his predecessors have started and improved further the quality of services of our soldiers,” President Aquino said.

The Commander-in-Chief also ordered Iriberri to make sure that the country will have a clean and peaceful elections in May 2016.

”In this way, you can pay back the support and care given to us by our Filipino nation, our bosses,” the President said.

In his acceptance remarks, Iriberri thanked President Aquino for his all-out support for the modernization program of the AFP.

”In a very long time, it is only now that our soldiers are able to use new military equipment. We should pay this back with our honest-to-goodness service to our nation,” Iriberri said.

The new AFP chief of staff also thanked the President and as well as Department of National Defense (DND) for the trust and confidence given to him.

For his part, Catapang also expressed appreciations to President Aquino for pursuing “daang matuwid” (straight path) policy, particularly in the AFP, for the last five years.

”We can now look at the AFP with the right purpose and with the clear direction and with respect to human rights,” Catapang said.

The President commended Catapang for being part of his administration to leave a peaceful and safe Philippines.

”Now, we honored an individual who gave his heart and mind to contribute to this goal. That is General Pio Catapang Jr.,” the President said.

President Aquino cited Catapang for performing wholeheartedly his duties and responsibilities which resulted to a long list of accomplishments of the AFP for the last 12 months.

”Although he will hang is uniform and saber, his style of leadership and concerns for our people and soldiers will remind us that under daang matuwid, our soldiers are disciplined, not abusive but accurate,” President Aquino said.

Some of Catapang’s accomplishments, the President said, include implementation of Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan, the so-called ‘The Greatest Escape” where Filipino peacekeepers have rescued at Golan Heights, maintained good relationship between AFP and national police during Mamasapano incident, and the killing of high-valued Basit Usman, Mohamad Ali Tambako, Abdulgani Esmael Pagao, and New People’s Army (NPA) Kumander Parago.

Under Catapang’s leadership, the AFP has been given Silver Trailblazer Award by the Solidarity in Asia for the implementation of the Performance Governance System.

”This award proved that we implement reforms in the military not only through words but by action,” the President said.

Catapang’s replacement is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1983.

Iriberri was named Commanding General of the Philippine Army in February 2014 before he was designated as the new Chief of Staff of the AFP.

He is set to retire on April 22, 2016. (PNA) SCS/JFM