MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has named former Army acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr. as the new chief of the armed forces.?
Faustino, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988, will succeed Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, who will retire from service today.?
“We confirm that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved and signed the designation of Lt. Gen. Jose C. Faustino Jr. as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) effective July 31, 2021,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.?
“We are confident that General Faustino will continue the peace and development efforts of his predecessors while aggressively building up our defense capability. We pray for General Faustino’s success as he embarks in his new role as AFP chief,” he added.
The Armed Forces welcomed the appointment, with its public affairs office chief Capt. Jonathan Zata saying Faustino’s “wealth of experience and passion for service as a commander and staff officer gives him the mettle to lead the AFP in accomplishing its mission, especially as we turn up a notch our operations in achieving lasting peace and development in the country.” – Michael Punongbayan