Andres Centino
Andres Centino | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Birth name | Andres Castor Centino |
| Born | February 4, 1967 Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines |
| Allegiance |  Philippines |
| Branch |  Philippine Army |
| Years of service | 1988–present |
| Rank |  General |
| Commands held | Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Commanding General of the Philippine Army 4th Infantry Division J3 Deputy Chief of Staff 401st Infantry Brigade 26th Infantry Battalion |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Star Gawad sa Kapayapaan Gold Cross Medal Military Merit Medal Parangal sa Kapanalig ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas Medal |
| Alma mater | Philippine Military Academy (BS) University of the Philippines (MBA) National Defense University (MSc) |
| Spouse(s) | Sheila Sucalit (m. 1992) |
| Children | 4 |
| Website | Armed Forces of the Philippines |
General Andres Castor Centino (born February 4, 1967) is a Philippine Army officer who serves as the 57th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.[1][2] He previously served as the 64th Commanding General of the Philippine Army from May 14, 2021, to December 7, 2021,[3][4] and has held multiple command positions throughout his military career, including commander of the 4th Infantry Division in Northern Mindanao.[5]
Centino graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1988 and earned his commission as an army second lieutenant.[6] He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021. As Chief of Staff, Centino is the highest-ranking military officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.[7] He has command of all elements of the Armed Forces–Army, Air Force, and the Navy–Marine Corps, and reports directly to the Commander-in-Chief.[8]
Early life and education[]
Centino was born on February 4, 1967, in Tacloban, Leyte, the first of five children born to Araceli Castor, a school teacher and probation officer, and military lawyer Flaviano Centino Sr. His siblings are Sandra, Flaviano Jr., Rachel, and Christine. He grew up in Cebu City, and attended the University of the Philippines High School Cebu.[1][9]
At the encouragement of his father, he entered the Philippine Military Academy in 1984, and graduated with honors as part of the Maringal Class of 1988. Centino also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of the Philippines in Cebu and a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.[1]
Centino has undergone various military trainings in security operations and intelligence. He finished the Basic Airborne Course and the First Scout Ranger Regiment Course, the later of which at the top of his class, making Centino a qualified member of the Special Forces. As a commissioned military officer, Centino completed the Command and General Staff Course at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College, where he finished in the top ten of his class.[3]
Military career[]
In 2008, Centino became the Commander of the 26th Infantry "Ever Onward" Battalion in Agusan del Sur. He was then assigned as the Secretary in the Army General Staff at the Philippine Army's General Headquarters in Fort Andres Bonifacio, Taguig. After, he became the Chief of Staff of the 4th Infantry "Diamond" Division, where he served as the division's organizational staff commander. In 2017, he became the Commander of the 401st Infantry Brigade, where he led operations against the New People's Army, a communist insurgent group. In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Organization, and Training, J3 at the Armed Forces of the Philippines' General Headquarters in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, where he led operations improvement and training innovation programs.[3]
After Centino served as J3, he was appointed Commander of the 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro in May 2020.[10] As division commander, he intensified his infantry operations against the New People's Army within his area of command, amidst the effects COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Centino also led the implementation of Executive Order No. 70, aimed at institutionalizing the whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace and ending the local communist armed conflict in the Philippines.[11] During his tenure, the 4th Infantry Division was awarded as the "Fightingest Division" for their continuous offensive operations against the New People's Army, and was awarded the "Best Army Unit" in 2020.[3][12]
On May 14, 2021, Centino was appointed the 64th Commanding General of the Philippine Army. This came after the removal of then-Lieutenant General Jose Faustino Jr., after only serving for 87 days. Faustino's appointment drew criticisms from lawmakers such as Senator Panfilo Lacson, pointing out the general's ineligibility to be named the commanding general. During a meeting of the Commission on Appointments, Lacson mentioned under Section 4 of Republic Act No. 8186 states that no officer shall be assigned or designated to certain key positions including the Commanding General of the Philippine Army if he has less than one year of active service remaining prior to compulsory retirement at the age of 56.[13] After Centino's appointment, he vowed to continue the army's modernization while making efforts towards combating terrorism through peace programs and strengthening the army's response towards all threats.[5][12]
On November 12, 2021, Centino was appointed the 57th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, replacing General Jose Faustino Jr.[1][2]
Awards and decorations[]
Lieutenant General Centino has received the following awards:[3]
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Personal life[]
Centino married engineer Sheila Sucalit on January 11, 1992, in Cebu City, Cebu. They reside in Metro Manila, and have four children, Andoni Rex, Rafael Andres, Dion Adrian, and Alison Dyan.[3] Centino is fluent in Cebuano, Tagalog, and English.
References[]
- ^ a b c d Bolledo, Jairo (November 12, 2021). "Army chief Andres Centino is next AFP chief". Rappler.
- ^ a b "Army commander Andres Centino is new AFP chief". cnn.
- ^ a b c d e f "Commanding General, Philippine Army". Philippine Army. Archived from the original on 2018-05-09.
- ^ Bolledo, Jaira. "Duterte appoints Romeo Brawner Jr. as new PH Army chief". Rappler.
- ^ a b Bolledo, Jairo (May 18, 2021). "LOOK: Andres Centino sworn in as 64th Philippine Army chief". Rappler.
- ^ "Statement on the Appointment of the New Chief of Staff, AFP". Armed Forces of the Philippines. November 12, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines". Official Gazette. Archived from the original on 2017-06-03.
- ^ Executive Order. No. 94, 1947.
- ^ Begas, Billy (May 18, 2021). "Proud Cebuano! Eduardo Gullas welcomes appointment of Andres Centino as Army chief". Politiko Visayas. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18.
- ^ "Army installs new Diamond Division commander". www.army.mil.ph.
- ^ Executive Order. No. 70, 2018.
- ^ a b Bolledo, Jairo (May 18, 2021). "Meet Andres Centino, the Army's 7th chief in 5 years". Rappler.
- ^ Gonzales, Cathrine (10 March 2021). "Philippine Army commanding general not qualified for post, says Lacson". INQUIRER.
External links[]
- 1967 births
- Living people
- People from Cebu
- Philippine Military Academy alumni
- Filipino military personnel
- Philippine Army generals
- Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs (Philippines)
- Duterte Administration personnel