Brig. Gen. Jose Eriel Niembra, former commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), has been appointed as the new chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), the military bared Saturday.
Niembra took over from Brig. Gen. Oliver Artuz who retired at the age of 56 in a joint turnover of command and retirement ceremony presided over by Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., AFP chief of staff, through a teleconference in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City Friday.
Santos expressed high hopes for Niembra in leading the ISAFP after his stint as the chief of the security detail of the commander-in-chief President Duterte.
Niembra led the PSG from May 2018 to February 2020.
“I am confident that the newly posted chief, ISAFP, Brig. Gen. Niembra, would be able to inspire and lead Team ISAFP to greater milestones in the future. The AFP leadership will support you in all your endeavors,” Santos said.
Santos paid tribute to Artuz who led the ISAFP for more than five months.
Artuz was designated as deputy chief of ISAFP on Dec. 10, 2018 before being appointed as ISAFP chief on Feb. 12, 2020.
Among his previous assignments were as Senior Military Assistant to the President and Assistant Chief of Unified Command Staff for Personnel, Eastern Mindanao Command.
Under Artuz, 697 target personalities from various threat groups were neutralized through ISAFP’s unilateral and joint operations with other AFP units and law enforcement agencies.
The ISAFP has conducted a comprehensive study and gave recommendations on the best practices of different countries in fighting the COVID-19 which were used by the AFP in briefing the members of the Cabinet to better respond to the health crisis.
Meanwhile, the AFP has installed a new commander for its Peace and Development Office (AFPPDO) with the retirement of Brig. Gen. Cesar de Mesa.
Brig. Gen. Francisco Ariel Felicidario III assumed as the new chief of the AFPPDO in a joint turnover of command and retirement ceremony presided over by Lt. Gen. Antonio Ramon Lim, AFP deputy chief of staff.
Lim hailed De Mesa for leading the office in overseeing the AFP’s peace initiatives in support to the government’s agenda.
De Mesa was appointed as AFPPDO chief on July 12, 2018. (Martin Sadongdong)