By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In an announcement on Monday, the Department of National Defense (DND) noted the appointment of Philippine Army Chief Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete as the new top brass of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Lt. Gen. Nafarrete will be taking the reins of the 150,000-strong institution from former AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr., who will be stepping down from his post after completing his three-year fixed term.
In 2025, Nafarrete was appointed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as a replacement for then-outgoing AFP chief Lieutenant General Roy Galido, after the latter reached the mandatory retirement age of 57.
The DND, meanwhile, said that Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) Commander Lieutenant General Donald Gumiran would fill the position left behind by Nafarrete as the new commander of the Philippine Army.
A graduate of the PMA “Bigkis-Lahi” class of 1990, Nafarrete gained extensive experience as a Scout Ranger through various deployments in combat areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao before starting his military career as the platoon leader in the 10th Infantry Battalion of the 1st Infantry Division.
He was also assigned to the AFP Joint Special Operations Group from 2003 to 2007. He later commanded the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion in Visayas from 2008 to 2010.
From 2010-2015, he served as the Presidential Security Group’s Chief of Staff, ensuring the safety and security of the President, Foreign Heads of State, and other dignitaries.
Before his designation as the Army Chief, Nafarrete served as commander of the AFP’s WesMinCom, which is responsible for the defense against communist insurgents and Islamic militants in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Central Mindanao, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur, and parts of Lanao del Norte. (with report from Patrick de Jesus | PTV News)
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