PMA holds testimonial parade for outgoing AFP chief

BAGUIO CITY—Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. was accorded a testimonial parade by cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on Saturday, days before his retirement on July 20 when he concludes his three-year tour of duty.

Brawner is a member and salutatorian of PMA Makatao Class of 1989 and is the military’s 60th chief of staff after he was appointed in July 2023.

The 58-year-old soldier was born and raised in Baguio by the late Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Romeo Brawner Sr. and the late University of the Philippines Baguio professor Lenora Fe Brawner, one of the original faculty of the Baguio campus.

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The PMA parade followed the praise Brawner received from his boss, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., on July 1.

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“General Brawner set a high standard—whether in the local or international arena or in the overall management of the AFP’s joint services—and he has been my partner in implementing necessary reforms and in the transition from focusing solely on [internal security operations] to addressing both internal security and external defense,” Teodoro said.

The DND chief said the outgoing military chief has set “a very high standard” through reforms, improved joint force management and the AFP’s ongoing transition from internal security operations to territorial defense.

Next AFP chief

Teodoro said the selection of the next AFP chief rests solely with President Marcos and declined to discuss possible candidates or whether he had made a recommendation.

“With less than a month before the change, that is for the President to decide,” Teodoro said on the sidelines of the Philippine Air Force’s 79th founding anniversary at Villamor Air Base.

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“The choice of the chief of staff is unique among all positions in the Armed Forces, so we will wait for the President’s decision.”

He added that discussions on the appointment are confidential.

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“That process is between the President and the Secretary of National Defense. It is privileged, so it cannot be discussed,” he said.

Teodoro, however, underscored the importance of continuity in military leadership, saying the next AFP chief must sustain ongoing reforms.

“The succession is very important. You must choose somebody who will build on and continue General Brawner’s legacy,” he said.

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He also praised Brawner’s leadership, citing the challenges of the position. INQ