Resigned Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr. on Tuesday mentioned he stop his put up final week after studying “only from news and social media” {that a} new army chief has taken oath in Malacañang.
“With the utmost respect, I submitted my irrevocable letter of resignation to the President, His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., on Friday, January 6, 2023, after learning only from news and social media reports that an oath of office of the new Chief of Staff, AFP had taken place at Malacañang,” Faustino mentioned in an announcement.
Marcos appointed General Andres Centino again as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), changing his earlier appointee Lieutenant General Bartolome Bacarro, who was AFP chief for under about 5 months.
GMA News Online has reached to Malacañang for its touch upon Faustino’s assertion, nevertheless it has but to reply as of posting time.
According to Faustino, he can not permit the AFP’s status to be “tarnished, maligned, or politicized” as he vowed to maintain the army group in excessive esteem. He didn’t elaborate.
“[The AFP] has undeniably proven its mettle over the decades. It is a highly disciplined and competent organization that will survive under any given circumstance,” he mentioned.
“Thus, fully cognizant of the selfless sacrifice and courage of our troops and civilian human resources, I cannot allow the AFP’s reputation to be tarnished, maligned, or politicized. I assure everyone that I will always hold the AFP in high esteem, which its men and women have painstakingly earned.”
Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. has since been appointed to move DND following Faustino’s resignation. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News
