DAVAO CITY –— Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Cirilito Sobejana has bowed out from military service following his retirement, he was replaced by Lt. Gen Jose Faustino.
Soberjana relinquished his post in a Retirement and Change of Command Ceremony today, July 31, as he bowed out of service as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.
Sobejana spent over 38 years in the military.
Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino, the current Commander of the Joint Task Force Mindanao.
“My tenure as the 55th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has truly been full of challenges and trials; but together with more than the 200,000-strong men and women of the AFP whose tenacity, strength, and heart have made us overcome all odds,” General Sobejana said in his farewell speech.
Sobejana spent most of his military career in Mindanao where he commanded different AFP units as he rose the ranks since graduating from the Philippine Military Academy in 1987.
He was the Commander, 1st Scout Ranger Company; Commander, 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion; Commandant of Scout Ranger Training School; Commander, Civil-Military Operations Group, Philippine Army; Commander, 601st Infantry Brigade; Commander, Joint Task Force “Sulu”; and Commander of 6th Infantry Division of Philippine Army. It was during his term as the Commanding Officer of the 1st Scout Ranger Company that he was bestowed with Medal of Valor in 1996 after he led troops in fighting 150 Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang members on January 13, 1995.
LtGen Faustino was appointed as the Commander of JTF Mindanao in June, following a successful stint as the Acting Commanding General of the Philippine Army.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy “Maringal” Class of 1988, he likewise had been Battalion and Brigade Commander in Western Mindanao, particularly in Basilan and Sulu.
He also served in Eastern Mindanao as Commander of 10th Infantry Division covering Regions 11 and 12; and Commander of EASTMINCOM securing Regions 10, 11, 12, and 13. LtGen Faustino also commanded the 7th Scout Ranger Company, 35th Infantry Battalion, and the 501st Infantry Brigade.
His efforts as he commanded the 10ID led to the dismantling of six Pulang Bagani Commands and four Guerilla Fronts of the NPA in one year of Military Campaign implementation
As the Commander of the Joint Task Force Mindanao, he spearheaded the crafting of the Mindanao Security and Stability Plan to synchronize the peace efforts of Eastern and Western Mindanao Commands in order to sustain the gains of the peace process and stability in the whole island of Mindanao.
“It is my belief that the true measure of a Filipino soldier is not in the badge or rank we wear, not about the position we attain or appointed to. It is the loyalty and integrity of every man and woman serving the AFP that will keep us going in the right direction,” LtGen Faustino said.
“As I embark on this new journey with each and every one of you belonging to Team AFP, allow me to say to every soldier, airman, sailor, and marine– let us stay positive on the course ahead, bind together as one family, commit with open minds, participate actively, work towards the attainment of our shared goals, develop good ideas and innovate to suit our domain,” LtGen Faustino added.-Newsline with AFP PR
