BY VICTOR REYES and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
ARMED Forces spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala will serve as first commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) under the administration of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Zagala will be acting PSG commander in concurrent capacity as Marcos’ senior military assistant (SMA), and an official order on his designations will be out soon, Col. Jorry Baclor, chief of the AFP public information office, said yesterday.
Zagala’s new assignments will take effect on June 30, the day Marcos will officially assume the presidency, Baclor said.
Zagala is the son of retired Maj. Gen. Rafael Zagala who served as Army chief from 1972 to 1975 during the time of Marcos’ father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
The PSG, tasked mainly to protect the President and his immediate family, will now have a unit tasked to secure the Vice President.
The military on Saturday announced the activation of the Vice Presidential Security Group (VPSG), patterned after the PSG, which will be in charge of the security of Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio and her family. The VPSG was activated on Friday in rites presided by AFP chief Gen. Andres Centino on Friday at the AFP general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo. The unit’s first commander is Lt. Col. Rene Giroy.
Meanwhile, Marcos reaffirmed his commitment to his predecessor and Sara’s father, President Duterte, that he would continue certain programs that were started by the outgoing administration. In his 216th Vlog episode that was uploaded on Saturday night, Marcos also said he again thanked the President Duterte for his service to the country, among others.
Zagala will take the of Duterte’s last PSG chief, Brig. Gen. Randolph Cabangbang who was named to the post in August last year.
Zagala’s father is said to be a member of the “Rolex 12” which is composed of military and civilian advisers of Marcos Sr. The group supposedly helped in the planning and implementation of martial law.
The younger Zagala was commissioned into the military service in 1994 after graduation from the Officer Candidate School, one of the sources of officers of the Armed Forces.
After becoming an Army officer, Zagala held command and staff positions in units under the Light Armor Brigade (now Light Armor Regiment.)
During the time of President Estrada, Zagala was assigned to the PSG and served as Estrada’s aide de camp until the latter’s ouster from the presidency in January 2001. He later served as company commander under the Army’s 24th Infantry Battalion.
Among his recent assignments are as commander of the Army’s 28th Infantry Battalion, assistant chief of staff for the civil military officer of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, and chief of the Army public affairs.
Zagala was named AFP spokesman last year.
EXPANDED PSG
Baclor said in activating the VPSG, the military only expanded the Vice Presidential Security Detachment (VPSD) which is was under the AFP General Headquarters and Headquarters Service Command.
“What we did is we expanded it. From a detachment, it was upgraded to a group. It’s now a separate unit under the AFP… Additional men were added (to the group),” Baclor of the VPSG, a battalion-size unit. A battalion is composed of around 500 men.
Baclor said the expansion of the VPSD to VPSG was planned long ago. He said the military leadership proposed the move to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who approved it recently.
Baclor said the VPSD lacks personnel, forcing other military units on the ground to provide soldiers to secure the Vice President whenever he or she visits the provinces.
“It disrupts the normal operations of the units. Now that its expanded, there is no longer a need to request (soldiers to secure the Vice President’s visit). The group can now handle the security (of the Vice President),” said Baclor.
Baclor said the AFP did not expand the VPSD to VPSG just because the presidential daughter is the incoming vice president.
“It was planned long ago, its a product of a thorough study, deliberations. It’s not connected to the Vice President Sara’s assumption (as Vice President), it was planned long ago,” he said.
SUPPORT
Marcos, in his Vlog on Saturday night, said he again thanked the outgoing President not just for his service to the country but also for his support to his daughter and even to him during the campaign period .
The elder Duterte endorsed only Sara’s candidacy and did not support any presidential bet.
Prior to the elections, he had described a presidential candidate as having weak leadership character and someone who used illegal drugs.
Marcos late last year, while claiming that he does not feel alluded to, took a drug test and showed negative results to the public.
On several occasions during the campaign and after his victory, Marcos has said he wants to continue some of the infrastructure projects under the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte government while Sara said she wants to sustain her father’s campaign against illegal drugs.
ADJUSTMENTS
Marcos said his family is preparing for the transition to the next administration.
He said his wife Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos has packed up her things at her law firm, M & Associates, as she prepares for her new role as first lady.
“Humingi ako ng paumanhin sa kanya kasi napilitan siyang gawin ito, pero sabi ko sa kanya, this is only the beginning of a new chapter (I apologized to her because she had to do this, but I told her, this is only the beginning of a new chapter),” he said referring to Araneta-Marcos’ setting aside her law career for now.
Marcos said his two young sons Simon and Vince are getting themselves used to the idea of having security wherever they go, while his eldest son, Sandro, is a bit excited as he prepares to join the House of Representatives as a “neophyte congressman.”
Marcos said he spent the past week preparing for his inauguration and and his Cabinet. Marcos will serve as agriculture secretary and Sara Duterte as education secretary. He has named a number of appointees.
