57th and 59th chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Andres Centino
Official portrait, 2023
Assumed office President Bongbong Marcos In office President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Preceded by Bartolome Bacarro Succeeded by Romeo Brawner In office President Preceded by Jose Faustino Succeeded by Bartolome Bacarro In office President Rodrigo Duterte Preceded by Jose Faustino Succeeded by Romeo Brawner
Born Andres Castor Centino
(1967-02-04 ) February 4, 1967 (age 57) Tacloban , Leyte , PhilippinesSpouse Sheila Sucalit Children 4 Alma mater Awards Philippine Legion of Honor Branch Philippine Army Years of service 1988–2023 Rank General Commands
Andres Castor Centino (born February 4, 1967) is a retired Philippine Army general who currently serves as Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns to President Bongbong Marcos since September 2023.[ 1]
Centino last served as the 57th and 59th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from November 2021 to August 2022 and from January 2023 to July 2023.[ 2] [ 3] Commanding General of the Philippine Army from May 2021 to December 2021.[ 4]
Early life and education
Centino was born on February 4, 1967, in Tacloban , Leyte , and grew up in Cebu City , Cebu . There, he attended the University of the Philippines High School Cebu .[ 5] Parole and Probation Administration , and his father, Flaviano Centino, was a lawyer who served in the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Judge Advocate General Service Reserve Unit.[citation needed
In 1984, at the encouragement of his father, Centino entered the Philippine Military Academy . He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree cum laude as part of the 1988 Maringal Class and earned his commission as a Philippine Army second lieutenant .[ 6]
Throughout his military career, Centino attended various military leadership and intelligence courses, including the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment course, infantry officer courses, counterintelligence operations courses, and the Command and General Staff Course at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College , where he finished as part of the top ten of his class.[ 7]
Centino also holds a Master of Business Administration from School of Management of the University of the Philippines Cebu , and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. [ 6]
Military career
Following his commission, Centino's assignments included Army General Staff Secretary in Fort Bonifacio , 4th Infantry Division chief of staff, 26th Infantry Battalion commander, 401st Infantry Brigade commander, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Organization, and Training, J3 at Camp Aguinaldo .[ 6] [ 7]
4th Infantry Division
Centino assumed command of the 4th Infantry Division based in Camp Evangelista , Cagayan de Oro on May 28, 2020, and subsequently served as commander of Joint Task Force Diamond.[ 8] [ 9]
Infantry operations against the New People's Army intensified within Centino's area of command even amidst the effects COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines . He implemented the whole-of-nation approach in ending communist armed conflicts in the Philippines outlined in President Rodrigo Duterte 's Executive Order No. 70, s. 2018.[ 10] [ 7]
Commanding General of the Philippine Army
Centino was appointed Commanding General of the Philippine Army on May 18, 2021.[ 11] Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio , Centino laid out his priorities on the continued modernization of the army, meritocracy based promotion among its officers, and the recruitment of qualified aspirants to the uniformed service.[ 12]
The appointment came after the removal of then-acting Commanding General, Jose Faustino after having served for only 87 days. Faustino's appointment drew criticisms from Senator Panfilo Lacson during a Commission on Appointments confirmation hearing due to his ineligibility to the position even in an acting capacity based on Section 4 of Republic Act No. 8186.[ 13]
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
On November 12, 2021, Centino was appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines by President Rodrigo Duterte .[ 14] Commission on Appointments with the concurrent rank of general on January 26, 2022. [ 15]
The 2022 Philippine presidential election coincided with Centino's tenure, and he directed the Armed Forces to ensure proper observance electoral procedure throughout the country and provide additional security during the campaign period and election day. The Armed Forces also worked to ensure a peaceful transition of power from the Duterte administration to the Marcos Jr. administration .[ 16]
Centino continued to serve under President Bongbong Marcos until August 8, 2022. Lieutenant General Bartolome Bacarro was appointed to the position to succeed him.[ 17]
Due to Centino's first appointment having taken effect prior to Republic Act No. 11709, his relinquishment of the Chief of Staff office did not retire him from military service. In line with previous legal precedent, his mandatory age of retirement was at 56 and he would continue to hold the rank of general until then. Consequently, because there can only be one 4-star general in active military duty at any given moment by law, Bacarro was prevented from promotion to 4-star general albeit occupying the concurrent Chief of Staff office.[ 18]
Reappointment under the Marcos Jr. administration
President Marcos Jr. swears in General Centino as Chief of Staff in Malacañang on January 6, 2023. On January 6, 2023, Centino was reappointed as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines by President Bongbong Marcos His reappointment under Republic Act No. 11709 granted him tenure past the previous mandatory age of 56.[ 19]
Centino served as Chief of Staff under President Marcos Jr. until July 21, 2023, and retired from military service.[ 20]
Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns
Centino was appointed as Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on September 28, 2023.[ 1]
The position holds the rank of secretary and is under the Office of the President .[ 21]
Personal life
Centino is married to Sheila Sy Sucalit, and together they have three sons and a daughter.[ 5]
Awards and decorations
Centino has received the following awards and decorations:
National awards
Military decorations
Campaign and service medals
with three bronze service stars with two bronze service stars with two bronze service stars with one bronze service star with two bronze service stars
Unit decorations
Badges
References
^ a b Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey (September 29, 2023). "Palace names new justices, presidential assistant" . Philippine News Agency . ^ "Statement on the change of command in the AFP" (Press release). Department of National Defense, Philippines. November 12, 2021.^ Cupin, Bea (January 6, 2023). "Out and in again: Marcos brings Centino back as AFP chief" . Rappler . ^ Parrocha, Azer; Nepomuceno, Priam (May 16, 2021). "Duterte names Centino new PH Army chief" . Philippine News Agency . ^ a b Bolledo, Jairo (May 18, 2021). "Meet Andres Centino, the Army's 7th chief in 5 years" . Rappler . ^ a b c Pedrajas, Joseph (January 7, 2023). "Andres Centino returns as AFP chief of staff" . Manila Bulletin . ^ a b c "Commanding General, Philippine Army" . Philippine Army . Archived from the original on October 25, 2021.^ "Army installs new Diamond Division commander" . Philippine Army . May 28, 2020.^ Galvez, Edwin. "General Andres Centino" . LEAGUE . ^ Lopez, Alexander (July 13, 2020). "Caraga traders, firms urged to stop giving money to NPA" . Philippine News Agency . ^ "On the designation of MGEN Andres C. Centino as CGPA" (Press release). Presidential Communications Office, Office of the President of the Philippines. May 16, 2021.^ Bolledo, Jairo (May 18, 2021). "LOOK: Andres Centino sworn in as 64th Philippine Army chief" . Rappler . ^ Gonzales, Cathrine (10 March 2021). "Philippine Army commanding general not qualified for post, says Lacson" . INQUIRER . ^ "Army commander Andres Centino is new AFP chief" . CNN Philippines . November 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021.^ Bolledo, Jairo (January 26, 2022). "Commission on Appointments confirms Centino as AFP chief" . Rappler . ^ Santos, Jamil (April 9, 2022). "AFP, PNP, PCG sign operational guidelines for Eleksyon 2022 security" . GMA News Online . ^ "PBBM appoints Bacarro as AFP chief of staff" . Philippine News Agency . August 1, 2022.^ Cupin, Bea (January 10, 2023). "Malacañang: Former DND OIC Faustino 'knew of developments' in AFP" . Rappler . ^ Cupin, Bea (January 6, 2023). "Out and in again: Marcos brings Centino back as AFP chief" . Rappler . ^ Nepomuceno, Priam; Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey (July 21, 2023). "Recalibrate AFP's internal security ops: PBBM to Brawner" . Philippine News Agency . ^ "Presidential Appointees" (PDF) (Press release). Official Gazette, Philippines. September 29, 2023.^ ABS-CBN News (August 8, 2022). Marcos attends AFP Change of Command Ceremony | ABS-CBN News ^ RTVMalacañang (July 21, 2023). AFP Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony in honor of General Andres Centino PA 07/21/2023
External links
Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Vice President Zuleika T. Lopez Assistant Secretary / Assistant Chief of Staff to the Vice President Lemuel G. Ortonio Director of the Administrative and Financial Services Office Rosalynne L. Sanchez Chief Accountant of the Accounting Division Julieta L. Villadelrey Chief of the Legal Affairs Division Emily Rose Torrentira
* as Officer-in-charge** in Concurrent capacity
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