‘Army to march to beat of the times’

Newly installed Army chief Maj. Gen. Efren Abu said yesterday that while he is not expecting abrupt changes during his watch, he plans to have the 70,000 soldiers under him to "march to the beat of the times."

Abu took over the top Army post from Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 56 yesterday, in a turnover ceremony held at the Army headquarters at Fort Bonifacio in Makati City.

"As a relevant Army, we shall march to the beat of the times," he said, but quickly clarified that he will never compromise the Army’s core values of honor, duty, valor, loyalty and solidarity.

Abu, former commander of the military’s anti-coup Task Force Libra, also said that he will order the redeployment of soldiers assigned to office duties to the field.

Abu’s appointment as Army chief came in the midst of talk of renewed efforts to destabilize the government. He is considered one of President Arroyo’s most trusted military officials.

However, the President was absent during the turnover ceremony, which was presided by Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

Camiling was appointed Army chief last year after he failed in a race for the top post of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), now occupied by Gen. Narciso Abaya.

Camiling’s failure to get the post of AFP chief was largely attributed to his closeness to deposed president Joseph Estrada.

Ermita hinted that Camiling is expected to join the defense department upon his retirement.

In his farewell address, Camiling said that in contrast to an old military slogan, he — along with his classmates in the Philippine Military Academy Class ’69 — will never fade away.

Abu, on the other hand, assured Camiling he will continue the reforms instituted by his predecessor and work to further improve the morale of soldiers in the field. — Jaime Laude