By Priam Nepomuceno/PNA
MANILA — Newly-appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal on Tuesday vowed to bring a “culture of excellence” to the 145,000-strong military.
“As we pursue a culture of excellence, we will also endeavor to achieve good governance and professionalism among our ranks and as we look forward to another year of service, I call on (all) soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines of Team AFP for your selfless dedication to our sworn duty,” Madrigal said in his speech during the assumption of command ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Since the AFP has targets and deadlines to meet, Madrigal urged all AFP personnel to march in cadence towards the same direction with the same urgency and in the same determined pace.
“To all our fellow Filipinos, your support and encouragement will inspire us every step of the way, we will count on you once again as we unite to achieve our common aspirations for our nation,” the new AFP chief said.
Madrigal replaced Carlito Galvez Jr., his classmate at the Philippine Military Academy, who retired after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.
The newly-appointed AFP chief, 51st overall, served notably as 4th Infantry Division commander, Southern Luzon Command and Eastern Mindanao Command chief. His appointment as next AFP chief was approved last Dec. 5 by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Madrigal will retire on Sept. 28, 2019.
