Calimlim now No. 2 in Armed Forces

Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim is the new Armed Forces vice chief of staff.

President Estrada appointed Calimlim yesterday to replace Lt. Gen. Victor Mayo, who retires today after 38 years of military service.

Calimlim remains chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and commander of Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force "Aduana."

Calimlim's appointment was endorsed to the President last week by Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes and Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado upon recommendation of the Armed Forces Board of Generals.

As vice chief of staff, Calimlim will supervise the major service commands of the Armed Forces (AFP) and exercise direct control and management over the five area commands nationwide.

Calimlim will also be chairman of the AFP Modernization Board, AFP Housing Board, AFP Technical Working Group and the AFP Disaster Relief Task Force.

He will also be chief of the Office of Ethical Standards and Public Accountability.

Before his appointment as vice chief of staff, Calimlim was deputy chief of staff, from Oct. 16 last year and until yesterday, and commander of the Presidential Security Group, from March 1996 until last February.

He was also assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, and before that he served as military attaché and police liaison officer in Washington DC.

Calimlim was a member of the defunct Philippine Constabulary/Integrated National Police, from March 24, 1968 to Dec. 31, 1990.

When the Philippine National Police was established, he chose to join the Army on Jan. 1, 1991.

Calimlim graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1968.