4 vie for Air Force chief post

Four senior officers are vying for the position of Philippine Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Horacio Tolentino who is set for early retirement on Friday.

Tolentino bows out of the service a month ahead of his scheduled retirement on Feb. 7.

Camp Aguinaldo sources said two of the four contenders are not alumni of the Philippine Military Academy and might have little chance against the two other hopefuls who are graduates of the elite institution.

But Tolentino himself said Malacañang has already designated Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog as his replacement.

Cadungog, as deputy chief of staff, may be considered the No. 3 man in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“I was informed this afternoon that there is already an order designating Gen. Cadungog as my replacement but I don’t have a copy yet,” Tolentino said. “He may be the one, but I’m still waiting for the order.”

Sources said another top contender was PAF vice commander Maj. Gen. Enrique Insierto of PMA Class 1974 and a classmate of AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. Cadungog is from Class 1975. Sources declined to name the two other contenders.