19 AFP officers promoted

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo has promoted 19 senior military officers, led by military spy chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza, and appointed three new ambassadors, whose appointments are to undergo confirmation at the bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA).

Also up for CA confirmation is Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.

Mrs. Arroyo administered the oath of office to Supreme Court Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, replacing Ruben Reyes Jr. who retired last Jan. 3.

Peralta, who joined the Sandiganbayan in 2002, was named chief of the anti-graft court on March 28, 2008 to succeed Teresita de Castro, who was then named associate justice of the Supreme Court.

Former Marikina trial court judge Alex Quiroz, now associate justice of the Sandiganbayan, also took his oath of office.

Prestoza, former Presidential Security Group chief who now heads the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, will be promoted to major general, along with Rudival Cabading, Arthur Mancenido, Eduardo Oban Jr. and Arturo Ortiz.

Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas, head of the 12-man House contingent in the CA, named the new ambassadors as Alejandro del Rosario to Poland, Ariel Abadilla to Ireland, and Ma. Corazon Bahjin to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Gullas said they have just received the appointment of the three new envoys, the 19 new generals and a fresh batch of 36 chiefs of mission, foreign service officers and career ministers at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).    – Delon Porcalla