Officers Take Oath as Selection Board Members
One hundred eighty-three (183) generals, flag officers and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on March 5 took their oath as members of different AFP selection boards at the AFP commissioned officers club, Camp Aguinaldo. The members have sworn to perform their new appointments before secretary of national defence Delfin Lorenzana. Also present in the ceremony were AFP vice chief of staff Maj Gen Salvador Melchor Mison Jr and AFP deputy chief of staff VAdm Gaudencio Collado Jr. “This oath-taking ceremony is not only an undertaking to recognise the new members, but also to emphasise the continuous challenge in promoting the administration and personnel of the AFP,” VAdm Collado said in his opening remarks. The AFP selection board is among the military’s prominent screening bodies that do the te dious and meticulous task of refining the most-deserving members to be atop the organisation. The other panels are the AFP board of generals and board of senior officers. The four selection boards of the Philippine Army are led by Maj Gen Ramiro Rey, Maj Gen Jesus Sarsagat, Brig Gen Virgilio Bartolome, and Col Eliglen Villaflor. The two selection boards of the Philippine Air Force are headed by Brig Gen Glicerio Peralta, and Brig Gen Edward Libago while the Philippine Navy selection boards are chaired by Brig Gen Ariel Caculitan, and Cmdre Antonio Palces. On the other hand, the medical service selection boards are chaired by Col Joseph Batenga and Col Felisa Tuliao; the nurse corps selection boards by Col Noreta Sison and Col Luis Carlo Aquino; the dental service selection boards by Col Michael Tiu and Lt Col Ranulfo Espera; judge advocate general service selection board by Col Gerry Pulohanan; corps of professors selection board by Col Claro Unson Jr; and the chaplain service selection board by Col Leonides Cruel Jr. The appointment and oath-taking of the selection board members are part of the AFP’s longstanding commitment towards fortifying professionalism within the AFP’s ranks.