Año is new Armed Forces of the Philippines chief

It's now official:  Lieutenant General Eduardo Año, commanding general of the Philippine Army, is the new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Año will replace Gen. Ricardo Visaya who is ending his military tour of duty on December 8. 

The announcement was made when Año arrived at the AFP Grandstand in Camp Aguinaldo for the change of command.

He was given arrival honors when he trooped the line.

Former President Fidel Ramos and former AFP chief now National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon were among those present for the change of command.

Año graduated from the Philippine Military Academy and commissioned on March 11, 1983. Visaya is among his PMA classmates.

He continued his education in the US Army Intelligence Center and School in Arizona in 1993 and in the Israel Counter Terrorism Center in 2002.

He also served as Brigade Commander of the 201st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

He was Army’s 10th Infantry Division and led the operation which led to the killing of New People’s Army commander Leoncio Pitao alias Ka Parago a month  before he was appointed as the 57th Commanding General of the Philippine Army on July 15, 2015.

Año also served as Chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and, prior to that Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence.

He is set to retire on October 26, 2017. 

Jonas Burgos

Año was linked to the 2007 disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos. At the time, Año was head of the Army Intelligence Security Group.

Edita Burgos, mother of Jonas, has repeatedly blocked Año's promotions in the military ranks before the bicameral Commission on Appointments, saying the Army official was involved in the disappearance of her son.

Año, however, has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Jonas was abducted on April 28, 2007, allegedly by military personnel while having lunch at a restaurant inside the Ever Gotesco Mall in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

In July 2011, the Supreme Court ordered the military to produce Jonas.

In March 2013, the Court of Appeals said in its findings that his abduction was a case of enforced disappearance and the AFP-Philippine Army was accountable.

In September 2013, the Department of Justice dropped the charges of arbitrary detention, murder and obstruction of justice against military and police officials allegedly involved in the abduction, including Año.  — RSJ, GMA News