MANILA,Philippines – Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday said the next chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should live up to the legacy of outgoing chief Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr.
“Gen. Brawner set a high standard—whether in the local or international arena, or in the overall management of the AFP’s joint services—and he has been my partner in implementing necessary reforms and in the transition from focusing solely on ISO [internal security operations] to addressing both internal security and external defense,” Teodoro said on the sidelines of the Philippine Air Force’s 79th founding anniversary at Villamor Air Base.
The defense secretary said the position of AFP chief solely depended on the choice of the chief executive regardless if he has a recommendation or not but remained mum on the discussions on appointments.
Brawner has served as AFP chief of staff since July 2023 succeeding Gen. Andres Centino. He is set to retire from the service on July 21.
“With less than a month before the change, that is for the President to decide,” Teodoro said.
Criticism only noise
As to pro-China voices contradicting his remarks on the West Philippine Sea, Teodoro simply dismissed the attacks and stood by his statements.
“The public will judge. I have not said anything that isn’t true,” he said.
He reiterated that the Philippines’ dispute is not with the Chinese people but with the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government.
“Our adversary is not the Chinese people. It is the Communist Party of China and its government, which is taking territory and twisting the narrative,” he said.
Teodoro added that critics have resorted to creating “noise” rather than addressing the issues, saying the Philippines’ position is grounded in facts and is supported internationally.
“They cannot counter the issue itself, so they resort to creating an uproar,” he said.
