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MANILA, Philippines – General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr breezed through the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, September 3, meeting no opposition to his promotion to 4-star general, given only to military chiefs.
Fifty-one other senior military officers, including 7 other generals, were confirmed by the CA. The rest are colonels.
The 7 generals confirmed by the CA are: Lieutenant General John Bonafos, Major Generals Edwin Remotigue and Victor Bayani, and Brigadier Generals Inocencio Mayangao, Angelito de Leon, Arnold Mancita, and Irma Almoneda.
Senators and congressmen heaped praises on the general for the unauthorized escape of Filipino troops besieged by Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights, and gave their thumbs up to the troops’ defiance of their United Nations commander.
The CA members asked Catapang to narrate what happened during the firefight and the eventual escape.
“I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to congratulate him for being decisive in handling the Golan Heights crisis to ensure the safety of our UN peacekeeping forces there,” said Western Samar Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento.
“General Catapang is a member of the SF, the Samar forces,” Sarmiento teased, referring to the general’s previous deployment to his province.
Parañaque Representative Roilo Golez wants Congress to give Catapang a commendation.
“This representative will file a resolution in Congress to congratulate our Armed Forces chief Gregorio Catapang,” said Golez. He proposed the increase of the military’s deployment to Golan. Malacañang has ordered their pullout when their tour of duty ends in October.
The crisis in Golan is Catapang’s first major crisis since he assumed the post in July.
Before becoming chief of staff, Catapang also served as vice chief of staff, Northern Luzon Command chief.
He is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Dimalupig” Class of 1981. He succeeded his “mistah,” now retired General Emmanuel Bautista. – Rappler.com
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