President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has appointed Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro as the new chief of staff (CS) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Malacañang announced on Monday, 1 August.
Press secretary Trixie Cruz noted that in accordance with Republic Act no. 11709, Bacarro will be the first CSAFP to be given a fixed three-year term.
Republic Act 11709, signed by former President Duterte on 13 April 2022 sets a fixed three-year tour of duty for the AFP chief of staff, vice chief of staff, the deputy chief of staff, the major service commanders (Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy), unified command commanders, and inspector general “unless sooner terminated by the President.”
Prior to his appointment, Bacarro was serving as the commander of the Armed Forces the Philippines – Southern Luzon Command.
“The change of command for the new AFP chief of staff will be on 8 August. This will give time for Gen. Bacarro to wind down at the SOLCOM and provide him with the transition to his new position in Camp Aguinaldo,” Angeles said in a statement.
Bacarro, a native of La Union province, graduated in the upper quartile of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Maringal” Class of 1988.
Angeles said outgoing CS-AFP Gen. Andres Centino, a classmate of Bacarro in PMA, is slated for a new post befitting a former chief of staff.
Shortly after graduation, Bacarro was assigned with the 5th Infantry Division in Isabela province at the height of the counter-insurgency campaign in the Cagayan Valley from June 1988 until 1995.
For seven years, he held various positions in the 5th ID including platoon leader, company commander, administrative officer, intelligence officer, operations officer, civil-military operations office and secretary to the general staff.