INCOMING Philippine Army chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said defeating the communist New People’s Army (NPA) will be one of his priorities once he assumes command of the 100,000-stong major service command.
“As a force provider, what I can do is to capacitate our soldiers so that we can finish the task that was given to us by the President,” Brawner, outgoing commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said in an interview on Tuesday night after his designation as Army chief was announced.
President Duterte has directed the military to defeat the NPA before the end of his term in June next year. Latest military estimates place the NPA strength at around 3,000 throughout the country.
“President Duterte said that by the end of his term, there should be an end to the local armed conflict… We will try our best to meet that with highly-competent, highly-skilled, highly-professional Philippine Army soldiers,” said Brawner.
Brawner also vowed to take care of the health, welfare and morale of soldiers and their families, noting that the troops “are the most important resource of the Philippine Army.”
“Of course, we will also focus on our core competency which is war-fighting. We will develop the capability of the Army soldiers,” he said.
Brawner said soldiers can now focus on war-fighting because they are no longer performing other roles like being teachers and doctors, in far-flung areas, with the establishment of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)
The task force, headed by President Duterte, was formed in December 2018, by virtue of Executive Order 70.
“Our partners are now on board NTF-ELCAC. Before, soldiers are doing the jobs of other agencies. Soldiers are serving as teachers, soldiers are serving as doctors in isolated areas.
Now, basic services are delivered to the isolated areas (by other agencies),” he said.
“So soldiers can now focus on their core competency which is war fighting. Our capability development will revolve around that so that we will be ready not just for internal (security) operations but also for external defense, we’re preparing for that, we’re looking forward to that,” added Brawner.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced President Duterte’s designation of Brawner as Army chief.
The military has yet to say when Brawner will formally assume the top Army post. Brawner replaces Lt. Gen. Andres Centino who is now Armed Forces chief.
Centino congratulated Brawner for his appointment.
“As a competent and dedicated commander and leader, the Philippine Army is in good hands with Maj. Gen. Brawner at the helm,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Franco Nemecio Gacal, the AFP’s Inspector General, retired from the service yesterday, bringing to two the number of three-star positions without a permanent chief.
Centino installed Brig. Gen. Joseph Ferrous Cuison as acting AFP Inspector General during a ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo.
Cuison, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1990, will serve as acting AFP Inspector General in concurrent capacity as the AFP deputy Inspector General.
Gacal, a member of the PMA class 1988, was named AFP Inspector General in May last year. He previously commanded the Army’s 4th Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro City. He reached the mandatory retirement age of 56 yesterday.
Aside from the post of AFP Inspector General, another key three-star position in the Armed Forces is lacking a permanent commander — the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) based in Tarlac City.
