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.
Edward Soriano is an American retired lieutenant general. He is the highest-ranking Filipino American officer to have served in the United States military, and the first promoted to a general officer. Born in the Philippines, Soriano moved with his family to the United States and graduated from Salinas High School before being commissioned as an officer through Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps at San Jose State University.
Hermogenes Cendaña Esperon Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general who served as the National Security Adviser in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022. He was the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 2006 to 2008 and Commanding General of the Philippine Army from 2005 to 2006 under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. After his retirement from the military, he served in Arroyo's administration as the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and later as the head of the Presidential Management Staff.
Alexander Badong Yano is a retired Philippine Army general who served as the 38th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the highest position in the AFP hierarchy. His Vice Chief of Staff was Lt. Gen. Cardozo M. Luna and his Deputy Chief of Staff was Lt. Gen. Rodrigo F. Maclang. Alexander Yano also served as the commander of the Philippine Army and Southern Luzon Command. He is also the first general born from Mindanao
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 and is responsible for the overall operations of the AFP.
Ricardo A. David, Jr is a former Chief of staff of the Philippine Armed Forces. He was the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command chief. On June 30, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III picked David as his AFP chief. On July 2, 2010, Ricardo David assumes the command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from Lt Gen. Nestor Z Ochoa. He currently serves as the Undersecretary for Defense Policy of the Department of National Defense.
Lieutenant General Ernesto G. Carolina served in various civilian positions in government. He was Presidential Assistant and Chairman of the Joint Defense Assessment Planning and Implementation Group (JDA-PAIG), Office of the President; Undersecretary for Philippine Defense Reform Program, Department of National Defense (DND); Undersecretary for Civil, Veterans and Reserve Affairs, DND; and Administrator, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, He held the rank of Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense for nineteen (19) years up to June 30, 2022. .
Eduardo San Lorenzo Oban Jr is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1979 and the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. His term as chief of staff began on March 6, 2011 when he succeeded General Ricardo David and ended when he was succeeded by General Jessie Dellosa. On February 22, 2014, Oban was appointed by President Aquino to head the Visiting Forces Agreement Commission.
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.
Natalio Cabili Ecarma III is a Filipino General who recently served as Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines. He is known for being the first Filipino appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, to serve as Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights, giving him the distinction of being the first Filipino to head a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission, with the rank of UN Assistant Secretary General.
Hernando Delfin Carmelo Arreza Iriberri is a retired Filipino soldier, and was Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from July 2015 to April 2016. He had previously been the 56th Commanding General of the Philippine Army since February 7, 2014.
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.
Shafiqur Rahman was a three-star rank Bangladesh Army officer who served as the Chief of General Staff of the Army until his retirement. He is the former Director General of Special Security Force (SSF), the agency in charge of protecting the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and also served as Director of Military Operations (DMO) at Army Headquarters.
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.
Noel Segovia Clement is a retired Filipino general who previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Prior to his appointment as Chief of Staff, he served as the commander of the AFP Central Command, and the 10th Infantry Division. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Sandiwa" Class of 1985.
Felimon Talusan Santos Jr. is a retired Filipino general who served as the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Prior to his appointment, he served as the commander of the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command, and the 7th Infantry Division. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Sinagtala" Class of 1986.
Eduardo "Ed" Drueco del Rosario is a Philippine Army veteran and government official who served as the first Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development of the Philippines under the Duterte administration, from January 2, 2020 to June 30, 2022. He previously served as Chairperson of the now-defunct Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council which was abolished and replaced by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development created through Republic Act No. 11201 on February 14, 2019. Del Rosario served 37 years in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, retiring as a major general in 2012. His service included tours as commander of the AFP Southern Luzon Command and of the 2nd Infantry Division.
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 has served as the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from January to July 2023 and previously from 2021 to 2022. He previously served as the 64th commanding general of the Philippine Army in 2021 and commander of the 4th Infantry Division from 2020 to 2021. Upon his retirement in 2023, Centino was named by President Bongbong Marcos as Presidential Adviser on the West Philippine Sea.
