Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año will retire in June to become the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary.
In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City yesterday, Armed Forces-Public Affairs Office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said Año is supposed to retire on October 26 at the age of 56 but will retire next month or four months earlier to head the DILG.
“October 26 is the date of his compulsory retirement upon reaching the age of 56 but he will be retiring earlier,” Arevalo said. “He has already intimated that to us that he might be retiring earlier by June so this is for him…this is to give way for him to join the DILG as the named appointee of the President and to give way to the next chief of staff that will replace him,” he added.
Arevalo said that the AFP Board of Generals is deliberating on who will replace Año. “Definitely, they are deliberating who they will choose to replace the retiring chief of staff,” Arevalo said.
“Like what I said, the AFP’s loss is the gain for the DILG but we are also saying that your Armed Forces of the Philippines will not run out of very competent, professional commanders among us who are deserving to lead the military in the soonest possible time.” (Francis T. Wakefield)