By Priam Nepomuceno/PNA
MANILA — Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Plans and former spokesperson, Major Gen. Restituto Padilla, formally retired from the service.
AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal presided over Padilla’s retirement ceremony at the General Headquarters Building in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Tuesday.
Padilla will reach the military mandatory retirement age of 56 on February 14.
“Major Gen. Padilla has proven himself to be an accomplished military-diplomat and strategic thinker. As chief planner and strategist, he led the office in different endeavors towards the attainment of the AFP’s objective through the sound implementation of its mission and programs,” Madrigal said.
Padilla served as the AFP deputy chief-of-staff for plans or J-5, in military parlance, for almost one year and six months starting September 2017.
During his stint, he supervised the AFP’s international affairs in various bilateral engagements with allied nations, as well as the approval of the Standard Operating Procedures on the General Policies and Guidelines in the Conduct of AFP International Defense and Security Engagements (IDSE).
He also led the formulation of the complete 15-year Revised AFP Modernization program that will allow the implementation and continuous support to the modernization of the Armed Forces.
Moreover, he facilitated the activation of the AFP Systems Engineering Office (AFPSEO) and the AFP International Military Affairs Center (AFP IMAC) to rationalize the Defense and Armed Forces Attaché postings and other IDSE commitments.
Prior his appointment to J-5, Padilla was the assistant deputy chief-of-staff for civil-military operations, J-7 and AFP spokesperson since November 2014. He was also the former AFP liaison officer to the US Pacific Command in Honolulu, Hawaii from 2011 to 2014.
His military career began when he entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1981, later graduating with the PMA Class of 1985.
Following his graduation from the academy, he joined the Philippine Air Force and earned his Aviator (Pilot) Wings from the PAF Flying School in 1987.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Cornelio Valencia Jr., the current assistant deputy chief-of-staff for plans, AJ-5 will assume Padilla’s position in an acting capacity. He was previously assigned as the Philippine Army’s assistant chief-of-staff for plans and programs, G-5.
“Having been assigned to various leadership and staff positions in the Army, I can personally vouch that Brig. Gen. Valencia Jr. embodies the values and the character that will fit well for the post,” Madrigal said.
