The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches;the Army,the Air Force,and the Navy. The President of the Philippines is the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP and forms military policy with the Department of National Defense,an executive department acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out,while the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines serves as the overall commander and the highest-ranking officer in the AFP.
Cardozo Manalo Luna is a retired three-star general and the 35th Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Cardozo Luna also served as the commander of two unified commands,Eastern Mindanao Command and Central Command. He served as the Philippine Ambassador to The Hague,Netherlands from 2009 until 2010 He is the current Undersecretary of Department of National Defense.
Brig. Gen. Marcos Gulapa Soliman was a Philippine military officer who served as superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy,Commanding General of the Philippine Army,and upon leaving military service,chief of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. He is best remembered in history as the then-anonymous whistleblower who exposed the plans of then-Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos to place the Republic of the Philippines under Martial Law.
Delfin N. Bangit was a retired Philippine Army general who served as the 39th Chief of Staff,Armed Forces of the Philippines for four months in 2010. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy.
The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest-ranking military officer and the head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),including all service branches under its command. The position is usually held by a four-star rank of General or Admiral. Its direct equivalent in the US Armed Forces is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Unlike its US counterpart,which is merely supervisory,the Chief of Staff has complete operational control within the military hierarchy and is responsible for the overall operations of the AFP.
Hector M. Tarrazona,is a former Philippine Air Force colonel and a founding member of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM). In the May 10,2010,elections,Tarrazona ran as a senatorial candidate under the Ang Kapatiran Party banner,and was supported by the Roman Catholic Church,along with Rizalito David,Jo Aurea Imbong,Adrian Sison,Reginald Tamayo,and Manuel Valdehuesa,Jr.
The Commanding General of the Philippine Army (CGPA) is the overall commander and highest ranking officer commissioned to serve in the Philippine Army. The position concurrently holds the three-star rank of Lieutenant General.
Lieutenant General Jesus Miranda Vargas served as Secretary of National Defense and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In his later years,he was the Secretary-General of Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) which was based in Bangkok,Thailand.
Ernesto S. Mata was a Filipino General and the 15th Secretary of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines,serving in that capacity from 21 January 1967 to 3 February 1970.
Emmanuel Trinidad Bautista is a Filipino general who served as the 44th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as he succeeded Gen. Jessie Dellosa as AFP Chief. He served as the Executive Director of the Cabinet Cluster on Security,Justice,and Peace at the Office of the President,Malacañang. His appointment as Undersecretary at the Office of the President was from 1 September 2014 to 22 June 2020 shortly after retirement from the military service as Chief of Staff,Armed Forces of the Philippines. Concurrently,he headed the National Task Force on the Whole of Nation Initiative and was also the executive Director of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea. He was succeeded by Gregorio Pio Catapang as AFP chief.
Arnulfo Gonzalez Acedera,Jr. was a Filipino general who served as the Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force and as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He was a recipient of awards such as the Distinguished Service Star,Distinguished Aviation Cross,Bronze Cross Medal and Silver Wing Medal.
Gregorio Pio Punzalan Catapang Jr.,CCLH is a Career Executive Service Eligible Officer,Corrections Officer,and retired Filipino general who served as the 45th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He was the Vice Chief of Staff prior to his appointment as head of the armed forces. He was also the former head of the AFP Northern Luzon Command and 7th Infantry Division. He is part of the Philippine Military Academy Dimalupig Class of 1981. He was part of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement. On October 21,2022,upon the suspension of BUCOR Director General Usec. Gerald Bantag,Catapang was appointed by President Bongbong Marcos as the Officer in Charge,and eventually as the Full-Time Undersecretary/Director General of the Bureau of Corrections.
Glorioso Ventura Miranda is a retired Filipino soldier who is the former Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He served as acting Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from April 22 to June 30,2016. Before becoming the 46th Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces last March 8,2016,he was the Commanding General of the AFP Northern Luzon Command from August 13,2015. He was also the former commander of the 7th Infantry Division. He is part of the Matikas Class of the Philippine Military Academy of 1983.
Cirilito Elola Sobejana is a retired Philippine Army general who served as the 55th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte. He is also known for having been awarded the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medal of Valor in 1995 for his valiant actions in Basilan against the extremist guerrilla group Abu Sayyaf.
Benjamin Rasgo Madrigal Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general serving as the Administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority under the Duterte administration since January 2020. He previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from December 2018 to September 2019. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Sandiwa" Class of 1985,along with his predecessor Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr.
The Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force is the overall commander and senior general of the Philippine Air Force,the aerial warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is normally held by a three-star rank of Lieutenant General. The holder of the position has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the service,and directly reports to the Chief of Staff of the armed forces.
Jose Calingasan Faustino Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general who previously served as Senior Undersecretary and officer-in-charge of the Department of National Defense.
Andres Castor Centino is a retired Philippine Army general who currently serves as Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns to President Bongbong Marcos since September 2023.
The Vice-Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (VCSAFP) is the second highest military officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. As principal assistant of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,he or she assists in administrative matters and in their operational duties,as well as in policy conceptualization and implementation matters in the AFP,while Chief of Staff focus on military operations and the country's security. The Vice-Chief of Staff also assists the AFP Chief of Staff in their absence and presides the meeting on the AFP Chief of Staff's behalf. The Vice-Chief of Staff holds a rank of 3-star officer as Lieutenant General or Vice Admiral (O-9) and is appointed by the President of the Philippines who is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
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