By Nash B. Maulana

COTABATO CITY—President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has promoted a Philippine Air Force one-star general to Major General, along with 22 senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

On recommendation of AFP Chief of Staff General Andres Centino and the chairman of the Board of General Brigadier General Roldan, Philippine Air Force has been promoted to one-star general. Two Philippine Navy Captains were also promoted to the rank of commodore, and one PN member to brigadier general—Colonel Antonio G Mangoroban Jr PN (M).

The rest are senior officers of the Philippine Army. Most of those promoted are alumni of either Master’s Graduate Program in National Security Administration (MNSA) or of the General Staff Course (GSC) or both.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro Jr. dated June 22, the President said he has approved the promotion of 18 officers with the rank of full colonel to brigadier general. Among them are 15 members of the Philippine Army (PA), two from the ranks of the Philippine Air Force, a Philippine Navy (Marines) colonel to brigadier general, and two PN (M) captains to the rank of commodore.

Residents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were jubilant on learning that among those donned with the first general’s star is their own Col Taharudin Piang Ampatuan.

Ampatuan topped his class of the AFP Command and General Staff Course in March 2011. In an ambush interview by reporters then, Col Ampatuan assured that his career would not be affected by the outcome of the gruesome Maguindanao Massacre which socially devastated the family by wide public impression, psychologically even affecting schoolchildren among them.

He, too, among many members of the Ampatuan clan, including the late Justice Secretary Simeon A. Datumanong, had condemned the carnage of 57 people, including 33 members of the media.

“I wish to inform you that, per your letter in accordance with the recommendation of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Chairmen AFP Board of Generals, pursuant to Republic Act 11709, as amended by Republic Act 11939, the ad interim appointment of the following one (1) general and twenty-two (22) senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to their ranks of Major General (O-8) and Brigadier General / Commodore (O-7) is hereby approved,” reads the President’s letter to Teodoro, which was officially released on July 1.

By law, an ad-interim appointment mandates the appointee to exercise the functions inherent to the position prior to its confirmation by the bicameral Commission on Appointment of the Philippine Congress.

The names of those granted one-step higher rank promotion are provided in the same letter as the following:

A. To the Rank of Major General (O-8)
Brigadier General Roldan (010857) PAF

B. To the Rank of Brigadier General / Commodore (O-7)

1) Colonel Ariel Jose J Moranda PA (GSC)
2) Colonel Antonio G Mangoroban Jr PN (M) GSC
3) Col Mayrad G Camarao PA GSC
4) Col Ferdinand Melchor C Dela Cruz PA (MNSA)
5) Col Efren Morados PA (MNSA)
6) Col Peter B Burgonio PA (GSC)
7) Col Juliano C Llarenas PAF (GSC)
8) Col Elmer B Soderio PA (MNSA)
9) Col Felix Ronnie B Babac PA (MNSA)
10) Col Marion T Angcao PA (MNSA)
11) Col Dennis R Pacis PA (MNSA)
12) Col Andre B Santos PA (MNSA)
13) Capt Edward Ike M Sagun PN (MNSA)
14) Col Christopher C. Tampus PA (MNSA)
15) Capt Dwight Steven M Dulnoan PN (MNSA)
16) Col Jesus Nelson B. Morales PAF (GSC)
17) Col Taharudin P Ampatuan PA (MNSA)
18) Col Joey A Escanillas PA (MNSA)
19) Col Francisco F. Lorenzo PA (MNSA)
Col Gulliver L Señires PA (MNSA)