Ex-GMA chief pilot heads PAF

President Arroyo named yesterday her former chief pilot as the new commanding general of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog is set to assume his post today in ceremonies at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to be presided by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

Lt. Gen. Horacio Tolentino has opted to retire before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 next month.

Maj. Gen. Pedro Insierto was named AFP deputy chief of staff in place of Cadungog,

Cadungog graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1975, while Insierto was a classmate of AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. in the PMA Class of 1974.

Described as a well-rounded officer, Cadungog served as 250th Presidential Airlift Wing Commander on Nov. 1, 2003.

It was during Cadungog’s stint as chief pilot of Mrs. Arroyo that Malacañang was in the thick of preparations, including frequent presidential sorties around the country, for the May 10, 2004 elections.

AFP public information chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said Cadungog’s designation as Air Force chief passed through the AFP Board of Generals.

The board scrutinizes appointments to key military positions before they are forwarded to the Department of National Defense for endorsement and approval of Malacañang.

Cadungog was a freshman at Silliman University in Negros Oriental taking up Mechanical Engineering in 1970 when he took and passed the PMA examination.

Following graduation from the PMA in 1975, Cadungog underwent military pilot training, graduated from the PAF Flying School and became a flight instructor from 1977 to 1981.

Cadungog also enjoyed extensive field and staff experience through various assignments all over the country from 1981 to 2003.

He later became PAF chief of operations, chief of Wing Operations Center, and assistant wing intelligence officer of the 560th Air Base in Mactan, Cebu.

Moving to Fernando Air Base, Cadungog was designated as squadron commander and later director for comptrollership, 100th Training Wing.

During his Mindanao stint, he was designated as command post commander of the 206th Tactical Helicopter Squadron and comptroller of the 3rd Air Division, Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City.

From Zamboanga City, Cadungog was reassigned as commanding officer of the Air Force Management Information Center at the PAF headquarters at Villamor Air Base, and later became acting group commander, Presidential Security Group, from 2000 to 2003.

Before his designation as AFP deputy chief of staff, Cadungog also assumed several positions in various capacities at AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.  — with Rudy Santos