MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner as the new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Malacañang announced on Wednesday, July 19.

Brawner, a native of Baguio City, will replace General Andres Centino, who will now serve as the presidential adviser on the West Philippine Sea.

“He exemplified the highest levels of excellence in his military schoolings, topping his classes in the Special Forces Operations Course, Intelligence Officer Course, and the AFP Comptrollership Course,” Malacañang said in its release.

Brawner is currently serving as Commanding General of the Philippine Army. He assumed this position on December 10, 2021. Prior to this, he served as the military’s deputy chief of staff for financial management and as commandant of cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).  Brawner was also a Marawi siege veteran, serving as the spokesperson and deputy commander of the military task force Ranao in 2017.

He belongs to the PMA Makatao Class of 1989. The Philippine Army is the largest service under the AFP with over 100,000 personnel. The other services are the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force.

Brawner is the third AFP chief under the Marcos administration. 

New adviser on WPS

Prior to his new assignment, Centino was in and out of the AFP. In January, Marcos reappointed him as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) – five months after he plucked him out of the same post and named him ambassador to India.

Centino replaced incumbent AFP chief Lieutenant General Bartolome Bacarro, who was Marcos’ pick to replace Centino, then military boss, in August 2022. The release said Centino “replaces previous appointee” Bacarro.

Centino’s new position is crucial in terms of national security as the Philippines guards its claims against China in the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com