New chief takes over Naval unit in Western Mindanao

The military has appointed a new commander of the Navy unit in Western Mindanao after the officer initially picked for the position, Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue, called it a demotion and became the subject of an internal investigation. Commodore Orwen Cortez Jr. formally took over the position in a ceremony in Zamboanga City last November 4, according to Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, commander of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command, which has operational control over the Naval Forces Western Mindanao. President Benigno Aquino III appointed Angue to the position last September, but Angue described it as a demotion and lashed at the military’s promotion system, resulting in him being put under investigation for alleged insubordination. Angue, in various interviews with the media, said his former position, chief of the Camp Aguinaldo-based National Capital Region Command, was a three-star position, while the new one given to him was a two-star position. A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1978, Angue is a senior of Cortez, which is a member of PMA class of 1979. The PMA class ’78 includes former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as an honorary member. Acting Navy spokesman Col. Ariel Caculitan said the designation of Cortez, who he described as an "equally competent officer," went through the selection process of the Navy’s Board of Senior Officers and, later on, of the Armed Forces’ Board of Generals. Caculitan said Angue could not assume the position of commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao yet because of the ongoing investigation against him. "His assignment is pending because he is under investigation. Once the investigation is completed, there is result and then there is recommendation, that’s the time he will be considered for any position... The position for Rear Admiral Angue will be tackled after the investigation is completed," said Caculitan. Angue would not answer phone calls or text messages for his comment. - KBK, GMANews.TV