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Philippine Army Chief Assumes Top Military Post
Army chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva Saturday formally assumed command as chief of staff of the 113,000-strong Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), replacing Gen. Angelo Reyes who retired upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who presided over the turnover ceremony at the AFP headquarters, expressed the belief that Villanueva will be able to consolidate the unity of the armed forces at this "crucial period" for the nation.
In his assumption speech, Villanueva called on the men and women in uniform to close ranks in the midst of the security problems facing the country today.
"Let us unite and make our efforts count. It is only when we speak as one... act as one... that we can truly make a lasting difference," he said.
"I expect our officers, our soldiers and our civilian employees to be guided by a rational understanding of the demands of the service, placing themselves and their interest second only to the priorities of the people they serve," he stressed.
President Arroyo commended the new military chief, describing him as "a quiet champion of value," who "will keep the ship on an even keel."
She also paid tribute to Reyes, who, together with former Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, announced their withdrawal of support for former President Joseph Estrada at the peak of a popular revolt which toppled scandal-ridden Estrada and installed Arroyo in his place in January.
Arroyo said Reyes, with his proven competence and vitality, is too young to retire from public service.
"It is for this reason that I intend to make sure that his capability is not wasted nor his momentum for service interrupted while I am President of the Republic of the Philippines," she said.
It has been widely reported that Arroyo will appoint Reyes as her defense secretary in gratitude for his role in leading the military to abandon her predecessor.
Earlier Saturday, Acting Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita denied a newspaper report that he, along with former AFP Chief of Staff Lisandro Abadia and a group of retied generals who have an axe to grind against Reyes, is working against the appointment of Reyes as the new defense chief.
"I'm categorically denying that there is such an effort. I'm not even thinking about it. That's not true," Ermita said in a radio interview.
"I think it is not right to oppose something that only the president has the right to do," he said.
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