Lorenzana wants Duterte to extend Guerrero's term as new AFP chief

MANILA, President — If he can make any recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he would ask him to extend the term of Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero as the new Armed Forces of the Philippines chief.

Graduating in the top three of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1984, Guerrero is slated to retire on December 17, although the president, being the appointing authority, can extend his term.

READ: Retiring general named new AFP chief

Asked if Duterte would prolong Guerrero’s stay at the helm of the AFP, Lorenzana said that although he could not make any speculations, he would favor such a move.

“Oo naman. Ano naman magagawa ni General Guerrero sa two months, di ba?” Lorenzana told reporters on the sidelines of the AFP Change of Command Ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday.

“Siguro ma-extend naman ng mahaba-habang panahon para naman magampanan niya yung trabaho niya,” the defense chief added.

Guerro replaced Gen. Eduardo Año, who is retiring on Thursday, Oct. 26.

Guerrero was among the two top contenders to replace Año, who bows out of the military service upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

READ: Duterte: Año will be DILG chief in 2018

His closest rival was Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, overall commander of the military’s anti-terrorism campaign against the Islamic State-inspired Maute militants in Marawi and commander of the Zamboanga City-based Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

Guerrero’s edge over Galvez, aside from being a Davao City-based area military commander, the hometown of the president, is that he is a senior of Galvez, who belongs to PMA Class 1985.

Prior to Guerrero’s designation by the president, Lorenzana described Guerrero and Galvez as both competent and highly capable officers.

Camp Aguinaldo insiders said Guerrero has no problem with his forthcoming retirement, as the designation of AFP chief is the sole prerogative of Duterte being the appointing authority as commander-in-chief.

Earlier, Lorenzana confirmed that the race to the top AFP post has narrowed down from four to two contenders, which Camp Aguinaldo insiders later named to be Guerrero and Galvez.

Galvez came out as a contender for the top AFP post for his able leadership in liberating Marawi City from the ISIS-inspired Maute terrorist group.