AFP Chief of Staff Santos retires; succeeded by Army chief Gapay
MANILA – With the retirement of AFP Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos, Jr., today, the Army Chief Lt. General Gilbert Gapay succeeded him.
The ceremony today was held at the AFP Commissioned Officers Country club with Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenaza Monday morning.
General Santos was “welcomed” by thee Taal Volcano eruption. He mobilized the Armed Forces assets and deployed up to 1,000 personnel and over a hundred vehicles to complement the national government’s relief efforts.
Under General Santos’ leadership, the AFP was assigned to mobilize assets to assist in the evacuation of overseas Filipinos in the Middle East as relations between the United States and Iran deteriorated. Two Navy ships were tasked to repatriate the stranded Filipino workers. The two Navy ships, BRP Ramon Alcaraz and BRP Davao del Sur were sent to Oman to assist in the repatriation.
Over a thousand military and civilian doctors and nurses have been assigned to different quarantine facilities.
Meanwhile, Lt. General Gilbert I. Gapay, a member of PMA Class of 1986, has served Commander of 2ndMechanized Infantry Brigade, Joint Task Force Haribon, the Mechanized Infantry Division, Southern Luzon Command before his assignment as Commanding General, Philippine Army. (Melo M. Acuña)
Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana (center) presides over the Change of Command ceremony between AFP Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos, Jr. (right) and Lt. General Gilbert I. Gapay (left) earlier today. General Santos, Jr. retired today at age 56, the mandatory age for military officers and men to retire. (AFP Photo)
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