AFP chief, vice chief to retire early to serve as ambassadors

MANILA, Philippines - Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexander Yano and vice chief Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna will leave the military service to serve as ambassadors to Brunei Darusalam and the Netherlands, respectively. “General Yano opted to retire one month early in view of his nomination to the post of Ambassador to Brunei Darusalam. Likewise, Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Cardozo Luna also opted to retire early in view of his nomination to the post of ambassador to The Netherlands," the Department of National Defense (DND) said in a statement Monday. Yano is reaching the retirement age of 56 in June and would be succeeded by Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado. Luna is turning 56 in September. DND military assistant for public affairs Lt. Col. Joselito Kakila said a ceremony would be held for the retirement of Yano and Luna on Friday, the day of their early retirement. The DND said the retirement of Yano and Luna was approved by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after consultation with various Cabinet secretaries and key officials of the Commission on Appointments. The DND said the assignment of Yano as ambassador to Brunei “was deemed important due to the key role of Brunei in the Mindanao peace process as the lead country in the International Monitoring Team." The IMT is a group of multi-national peacekeepers overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Yano is the first AFP chief in recent years to retire early. Luna, meanwhile, holds a Masters degree in Economic Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Defense Diplomacy Fellow in Cransfield University in the United Kingdom. The DND said Luna will serve as the focal person for the country’s defense engagements not only in The Netherlands but as well as with other countries in Europe. - GMANews.TV