General Andres Centino formally assumed his submit as chief of employees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday morning.
During the change of command ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin acquired the saber, the image of duty that goes with command and authority, from outgoing AFP chief Lieutenant General Bartolome Bacarro.
Bersamin then handed the saber to Centino.
In his speech, Centino paid tribute to Bacarro.
“As I close, I would like to pay tribute to the exemplary service of our honoree, outgoing Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, our Medal of Valor awardee and living hero. Sir, I wish you all the best and my best wishes to you and your family and your future endeavors,” Centino stated.
He additionally thanked Marcos for the “trust and confidence in my designation as chief of staff.”
Centino then ended his speech by saying he’s “ready to lead.”
“Ladies and gentlemen soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, this is General Andres Castor Centino, your chief of staff ready to lead,” he stated.
Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. was amongst those that attended the change of command ceremony.
Malacañang introduced on Friday that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has appointed Centino as AFP chief of employees.
Centino already served as AFP’s chief of employees from November 12, 2021, to August 8, 2022.
During his earlier stint as AFP chief of employees, Centino carried out 4 main thrusts together with operational effectivity, optimum use of assets, development of professionalism and meritocracy inside the group, and functionality improvement.
His earlier assignments additionally embrace Commander of 4th Infantry Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (J3), and Commander of 401st Infantry Brigade. —KG, GMA Integrated News