AS I WAS LISTENING INTENTLY TO THE RELINQUISHMENT REMARKS OF

THE OUTGOING SQUADRON COMMANDER, CPT JONNA MARIE AGULLANA PAF, I

AM DEEPLY HUMBLED BY THE IMMENSE TASK THAT HAS BEEN HANDED TO ME
AS THE NEWLY-INSTALLED SQUADRON COMMANDER OF 5312 ND BASE
OPERATIONS SQUADRON. The vital the job I have recently assumed reminds me of a
saying that has been one of the guiding principles throughout my career and I quote:
The man who commands efficiently must have obeyed others in past, and the man who
obeys dutifully is worthy of being someday a commander (Cicero, 52 B.C.)
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to start my remarks by expressing my most profound
gratitude to the very important personalities who were instrumental in my designation.
First of all, I express my most sincere gratitude to our President and Commander in
Chief, Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, for having bestowed upon me her trust
and confidence to lead the 80,000 strong Army in one of the more challenging times in
our nations history.
To LTGEN TOLENTINO, the outgoing Commanding General, Philippine Army whom I
also succeeded in the 44th Infantry Battalion in 1992, and to GEN ESPERON, the Chief
of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, for recommending me to succeed as the Army
Commander. To take over from such an illustrious officer and gentleman in the person of
LTGEN TOLENTINO is a great honor and privilege. He has done so much improvement
for the Army and I am certain that this has made my job less difficult and daunting.
I am grateful also to the former Officer in Charge of the Office of the Secretary of
National Defense, the Honorable Norberto Gonzales and to the present Secretary of
National Defense, the Honorable Gilberto Teodoro Jr., for favorably endorsing my
designation. Having been recommended by persons of such competence, character
and esteem and earning their confidence is enough inspiration to make me strive harder
for the task I am about to undertake.
Before I proceed, allow me first to acknowledge and greet the personalities gracing this
momentous event. (Please see other folder)
I humbly accept the task given to me and your presence here today truly inspires me to
do my utmost best, all for the good of the Army as a solid institution of the republic, and
for the development and welfare of the soldier, as its premier resource.
I assume at a time when our nations economic development is on an upward swing, all
for the betterment of the Filipino people. However, it is challenged with a formidable
obstacle that intends to demolish the aspirations of peace-loving Filipinos. The looming
threats posed by the CCP/NPA/NDF, the terrorists, and the secessionist movement in
Southern Philippines are real and continue to be an impediment to the full realization of
our economic goals.
A tremendous responsibility lies on the shoulders of the Philippine Army, as the premier
service branch of the Armed Forces, to be at the forefront in the nations fight against all
threats to our security and well-being. The multi-role army soldier continues to perform
the mandate of being a defender, a builder, an educator, a health and social worker, and
many others. It is for this reason that I consider the individual soldier as the institutions
premier resource, and his development and well-being must be ensured in order for him
to perform the task. After all, it has often been said that it is MEN WHO WIN WARS,
NOT MACHINES.
My administration of the Army shall focus on individual and unit roles with the mission of
the institution as the centerpiece. As TEAM ARMY, its personnel, with me as team
captain, must jell and be able to develop into a potent force capable of performing as
war fighter and nation-builder in varying capacities. We shall develop our strengths,
address our weaknesses and correct our deficiencies in order to complement one
another. This objective of developing the Army must likewise be infused with capabilities
of being inter-operable with other service branches in order to achieve jointness. Being
parochial at this time and age is detrimental to the development of the Armed Forces as
a total force.
A responsive recruitment system for both officers and enlisted personnel shall jumpstart
the Armys thrusts in the internal consolidation reforms initiated by my esteemed
predecessors. We must realize that the quality of the force that we have today largely
depends on the quality of raw materials we take in during recruitment.
Vital to force development is the aggressive pursuit of a capability upgrade program,
both for human resource growth through academic and skills development, and
equipage to provide the soldier the wherewithal to accomplish his task. A continuing
program should address not only mid-term needs of the force, but also its long-term
requirements and amendments should be more of the exception rather than the rule to
ensure continuity.
Internal consolidation of the Army will include addressing the concerns not only of the
AFP but of the entire government to cleanse the military institution of the persistent
issues of corruption. We in the Army will vigorously support this campaign with effective
resource and fund management at all levels of command. Transactions will be
transparent, the Internal Audit System will be continuously strengthened, and the
accountability of fund and resource managers being practiced today will be strongly
carried out. We must all realize that we are a developing nation, and every peso spent
must count.
The Army will dynamically continue reforms aimed towards improving the leadership of
our units at various echelons of command. The stringent selection process for
commanders being practiced today will continue and be further improved if needed.
Merit will be the key determinant in the selection of commanders and the criteria set will
be non-negotiable. In addition to standards set, I intend to strictly impose standards of
physical fitness for our commanders, since I am of the strong belief that a healthy body
equates to a sound mind. I believe that our commanders must be with the men in the
field, sharing their difficulties and closely supervising their actions. Good leaders do
what they preach, and we shall walk the talk. Good leadership and commandership
will also require a high level of moral and ethical standards that our men will 3
emulate. This will inspire our men, make them take the extra step and walk the extra
mile, all for the accomplishment of their mission. It will provide a moral high ground for
the institution to be able to defeat its enemies. Principled leadership is therefore
required of all Army leaders. I know this will entail a lot of sacrifices. But there is no
other way.
Ladies and gentlemen, the tasks at hand are great but it is not insurmountable. As I see
the Army troops in front of us today and thinking of the thousand others in the frontlines,
I am filled with the inspiration of being given the opportunity to lead great men and
women of character and conviction who are bestowed the responsibility of making sure
that our republic remains to be strong.
I urge all stakeholders to help me build an Army worthy of our countrymens trust. With a
supportive citizenry, your Army vows a service beyond the call of duty; a service with
dedication and humility; a service with battlefield victory as our objective but lasting
peace as our goal.
I shall lead the way possessed with principled leadership, with you ladies and
gentlemen of the Philippine Army marching in glorious unison with me. I commit myself,
as your new Commanding General, to lead you with conscience and conviction. The
improvement of the Army will be a crusade I will instill in our soldiers. And with your
cooperation and support, I am certain that I will not fail.

BGEN ANSELMO DOROTEO P JUNSAY III AFP

Wing Commander, 530th Air Base Wing

5312nd Base Operations Squadron