OPISYAL nang itinalaga ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. si Marine commandant Major General Charlton Sean Gaerlan bilang deputy chief of staff ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Ito ang pangatlong pinakamataas na opisyal sa militar.
Pormal namang naupo si Gaerlan sa kanyang posisyon sa AFP general headquarters sa Camp Aguinaldo sa isinagawang seremonya na pinangunahan ni General Andres Centino, araw ng Lunes.
Pinalitan ni Gaerlan si Lieutenant General William Gonzales, na naupo naman bilang acting at may concurrent capacity bilang AFP Inspector General noong Marso 15 nang magretiro sa puwesto si dating AFP deputy chief of staff Vice Admiral Rommel Anthony Reyes.
Ang pinakabagong designasyon ni Gaerlan ay matapos ang pitong buwan na pagtitimon sa Marine Corps noong Agosto ng nakaraang taon. Siye ay miyembro ng Philippine Military Academy “Makatao” Class of 1989.
Nagsilbi si Gaerlan bilang commander ng AFP Education, Training, and Doctrine Command, assistant AFP deputy chief of staff for intelligence, commander ng 3rd Marine Brigade, at Marine Inspector General.
“I am humbled and honored to stand before you as I assume as the TDCSAFP (The Deputy Chief of Staff AFP), a leadership post charged with a great amount of responsibility and a higher level of accountability,” ang sinabi ni Gaerlan sa kanyang talumpati.
Humingi naman ng suporta si Gaerlan para sa modernisasyon ng military upang makamit aniya ng tropa ng pamahalaan ang layunin nito na maging “world-class armed force.”
“I urge everyone to continue to support the AFP modernization and transformation programs so that we can achieve our mission to become a world-class Armed Force and continue to value the enhancement of professionalism across the organization,” anito.
Kumpiyansa naman si Centino na magiging epektibo si Gaerlan bilang AFP deputy chief of staff, iginiit nito ang kadalubhasaan ni Gaerlan sa larangan ng “intelligence, operations at personnel management.”
“Without doubt, his previous designations prepared him to take on greater tasks as the AFP’s third-in-command,” ayon kay Centino.
Hindi pa naman inaanunsyo ng militar kung sino naman ang magiging kapalit ni Gaerlan bilang commandant ng Marine Corps, isang major sa ilalim ng Philippine Navy. (Daris Jose)