President Duterte has chosen Lt. Gen. Noel Clement, commander of the Cebu-based Armed Forces Central Command, as new Armed Forces chief of staff, vice Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. who will retire on Sept. 28 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.
Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said they welcome Clement’s appointment as the 52nd AFP chief of staff.
“The AFP welcomes the selection by the President and Commander-in-Chief Rodrigo Roa Duterte of Lt. Gen. Noel Segovia Clement as the 52nd chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Arevalo said.
Arevalo said Clement “has vast experience in command and leadership which prepared him to competently address contemporary challenges of ending local communist armed conflict; the local terrorist groups in Sulu, Basilan, and Central Mindanao; and the implementation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.”
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had earlier confirmed that Clement has been chosen as the successor of Madrigal. “It’s Lt. Gen. Noel Clement but we have yet to receive the papers,” Lorenzana said.
Clement said he was “honored” by the appointment. “Of course I am honored with the designation and nagpapasalamat tayo kay Presidente for giving me his trust and confidence,” he said.
Malacañang yesterday expressed confidence Clement will be able to uphold the soldiers’ integrity as he fulfills Duterte’s marching order to continue the government’s efforts to end the local communist armed conflict.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo confirmed that one of Duterte’s marching orders to Clement is to pursue the goal of ending local communist armed conflict. (Martin A. Sadongdong and Argyll Geducos)