Arroyo’s mistahs relieved in yet another AFP revamp

Two senior military officials belonging to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class associated with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were relieved and reassigned to other posts on Friday in yet another round of revamp in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue of PMA Class of 1978, which adopted Arroyo as its honorary member, was relieved by President Benigno Aquino III from his post as chief of the AFP’s National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) and was reassigned as chief of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao in Zamboanga City. Angue will be replaced as NCRCom chief by his mistah, Major General Arthur Tabaquero. Tabaquero’s post of 8th Infantry Division chief will go to still another PMA 1978 graduate, Maj. Gen. Mario Chan, who is now 4th Infantry Division chief. Philippine Marines commandant Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, another Arroyo mistah, was named as the new commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command. Sabban’s post will go to Joint Task Force Comet chief Gen. Rustico Guerrero (PMA 1981). Two weeks ago, Angue bared to media alleged attempts to rig the results of the 2004 elections in favor of then administration candidate Arroyo, when he was chief of the Navy’s Task Force 62 based in Tawi-Tawi. AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said Angue’s reassignment had nothing to do with his statements on alleged cheating in the 2004 polls. “It is not form of punishment. We are putting the right man on the right job. His skills as a naval officer will be used in the naval forces in Western Mindanao," Mabanta told reporters on Friday. He added that although Angue was not promoted to the next higher rank and only “moved laterally occupying the same rank but in other capacity," he will still hold a “vital" military post. “In terms of naval assets I would suppose that the Western Mindanao has the biggest area in naval forces," Mabanta said. Sabban, on the other hand, had declared last month that several senior Marine officials are already willing to share vital information regarding the alleged irregularities in the 2004 polls that supposedly benefited Arroyo. (See: Marine officers ready to talk about alleged 2004 poll fraud) Other appointments Air Force vice commander Maj. Gen. Eduardo Oban (PMA 1979) was meanwhile named as the new Armed Forces deputy chief of staff, the military’s No. 3 man. The post had been occupied in an acting and concurrent capacity by AFP deputy chief for logistics Rear Adm. Mario Catacutan (PMA 1977). Replacing Oban as Air Force vice commander is Air Force 1st Air Division chief Maj. Gen. Artemio Orozco (non-PMA). There was still no word who will be taking the place of Orozco. Meanwhile, Catacutan will be re-assigned as the AFP inspector general. Replacing him as AFP deputy chief of staff for logistics is AFP Western Command deputy commander Commodore Teddy Pan (PMA 1977). Pan’s successor was yet to be announced. AFP inspector general Maj. Gen. Jovencio Magalzo (non-PMA) was appointed as the new AFP deputy chief of staff for reservists and retirees affairs, vice Maj. Gen. Antonio Bautista, another non-PMA officer, who retired from the service last month. Meanwhile, former Rear Adm. Emmanuel Victor Martir (PMA 1978), the former AFP deputy chief of staff for intelligence who had been without assignment since he was replaced last month, is the new commandant of the AFP Command and General Staff College. Martir replaced Rear Adm. Ramon Espera (PMA 1977), who is now the new commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command. Naval Logistics Center chief Commodore Edgar Abogado (PMA 1980) was named as the new commander of Naval Forces Northern Luzon. Navy Philippine Fleet-Service Force chief Commodore Jose Luis Alano (PMA 1979), meanwhile, was designated as the new Chief of Naval Staff. Col. Benito de Leon (PMA 1981), senior military assistant to former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales, was assigned as new chief of the AFP Command Center. Air Force 355th Air Engineering Wing commander Brig. Gen. Pedro Rieza (non-PMA) was meanwhile named as the new commander of the Air Logistics Command. AFP chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David said the designations were the product of deliberations from the Board of Senior Officers from the major services, followed by the AFP Board of Generals which he chairs. The BOG recommended the designations, through Defense Secretary Voltair Gazmin, to President Aquino — the AFP commander in chief — who subsequently approved them.—ACC/JV, GMANews.TV