DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Lieutenant General Gilbert Italia Gapay as the next Armed Forces Chief of Staff.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a statement confirmed the appointment of Gapay as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines effective August 3, 2020.
In statement Roque said, “We expect Gen. Gapay to continue the reform initiatives of modernizing and professionalizing the armed forces while protecting our people and securing the state. I wish Gen. Gapay all the best in this new undertaking and pray for his good health and success”.
Gapay is the incumbent commanding general of the Philippine Army, he was appointed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on December 06, 2019.
In a statement, Gapay thanked his Commander-in-Chief “for his trust and confidence in giving me the opportunity to lead the Armed Forces of the Philippines in this trying time in our nation’s history”.
He said “As your incoming Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we will build on the gains of our predecessors whose labors made the AFP an able agent for the betterment of our people and country”.
He added, “While the lessons of the past always remind us that our purpose is winning over challenges to best serve our people, we will uphold our mandate to protect and secure our country against external and internal threats. In doing so, we will remain accountable to the Filipino people. Because of this, we will continue to push for the modernization of our military to uphold our sovereignty and the integrity of our national territory”.
He vowed to continue the vision of becoming a world-class military that will also remain as their guide in building a strong, modern, and credible AFP that you can be proud of.
To the people, he said “Our communities can rely upon the AFP during this pandemic. We are one with the people in overcoming this health challenge—and we are committed to seeing you through towards its resolution. I also assure everyone that the AFP is a Force committed to ensuring peace, stability, and progress being denied by terrorists and their narratives”.
He asked the people for support and cooperation, “Your AFP is a far cry from the grim picture being painted by those against the Anti-Terrorism Law. Your AFP is your protector—not your enemy.” –Newsline
