Marcos: Country has a reliable partner in AFP under Bacarro leadership

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday was confident the country had a "reliable partner" in the military under the leadership of Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro.

Marcos presided over the Armed Forces of the Philippines change of command ceremony during which Bacarro formally became the AFP's 58th chief.

"I am sure that we will all now know that we have a reliable partner in the AFP under the helm of General Bacarro as we commence the difficult undertaking of rebirth and restoration of the Republic, transforming the country into a haven that is safe, secure, peaceful, and prosperous for all present and future Filipinos to enjoy," Marcos said in his speech.

"This has been long overdue. It is time to get to work and be the best that we can be in our respective capacities as public servants united in purpose and in deed," he added.

Marcos said Bacarro's kind of leadership, which he described as one with a "strong presence, the administrative and operational proficiency, unmatched discipline, and unwavering commitment" would be useful for the work that he is set to face.

"I know that you know well that the journey will not be an easy one. It will be sometimes treacherous, always complex. It will be difficult and at times seemingly unbearable," Marcos said.

"But with the AFP beside us, assisting and putting in place the fundamental prerequisites for nation-building, we shall overcome and emerge victorious in the end," he added.

Before becoming AFP chief, Bacarro served as commander of the Southern Luzon Command.

A Medal of Valor awardee, Bacarro is the first AFP chief who will have a fixed three-year term based on Republic Act 11709.

No worries for Centino

Former AFP chief General Andres Centino said he had accepted the movement in the military's top post.

“It sunk in, and no worries for me. I accept it as a soldier,” Centino said in Chino Gaston’s report on “24 Oras”.

“I follow the President's decision and just this afternoon, we had a turnover of command. I turned over the command of the AFP to General Bacarro. I was just told to assume another position,” he added.

Centino is scheduled to retire in February 2023. —DVM/NB, GMA News