Lieutenant General Roy Galido, the newly-installed chief of the Philippine Army, has vowed to continue the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) peace and development efforts, especially in Mindanao.
“(Peace and development) efforts will still continue. I will now be managing the Army, I know how to guide them on how to be more effective there in the (Mindanao) area,” he said in a phone interview Monday evening.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Galido, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1990, as the next commanding general of the Philippine Army, the Department of National Defense (DND) announced Monday.
“His extensive experience and well-honed skills resulted in the significant victories of his command against lawless elements, especially in Mindanao,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.
“With Lt. Gen. Galido at the helm, the Philippine Army will undoubtedly and excellently pursue the strategic path set by the Commander-in-Chief in pursuit of the country’s stability amid the changing security landscape,” he added.
Galido was assigned in Mindanao as a young lieutenant at the 6th Infantry Division (ID), became the commander of the 40th Infantry Battalion, then headed the 601st Infantry Brigade and was the 6th ID commander from August 2022 to January 2023.
He then moved up to lead the Western Mindanao Command, which oversees military operations in the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Northern Mindanao (Region 10), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Galido succeeded General Romeo Brawner Jr., who is now the AFP chief.
Galido and Brawner are mistahs or batchmates under PMA “Bigkis Lahi” Class of 1990. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
