By: Francis T. Wakefield with a report from Franco G. Regala
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año bows out from the service after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 today.
Año, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Matikas Class of 1983, assumed the top AFP post on Dec. 10, 2017, serving 38 years in the military.
A change of command ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. today with President Duterte as guest of honor and speaker at the Camp Aguinaldo grandstand in Quezon City.
Top military and government officials, including members of the diplomatic corps, are expected to attend the ceremony.
Año’s successor is yet to be named and is expected to be announced today. Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. and Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero are two of the strong contenders for the top AFP.
“Sa turnover wala pa final word kung sino. Wala pa lumalabas,” Armed Forces spokesman Major General Restituto Padilla said.
Meanwhile, Duterte installed Lt. General Galileo Kintanar as the new commanding general of the Philippine Air Force.
Kintanar was installed in a change-of-command ceremony led by Duterte in Clark, Pampanga yesterday.
Kintanar replaced Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina who is set to retire on Nov. 1.
