New AFP chief: I’m proud to be identified with Gazmin

New AFP chief Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri. (PHOTO FROM PHILIPPINE ARMY)

“My record can speak for itself.”

The new Armed Forces chief said he is proud to be identified with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, who taught him immensely in his years in the military.

But his military record was a testament to his performance in the light of criticism that he got the post because of his closeness to the defense secretary, he said.

“I am proud to be identified with him because I learned a lot from him. But as I said, my record will speak for itself,” Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri said in an interview after assuming command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday.

Iriberri was Gazmin’s spokesperson when he was Philippine Army chief in 2000 and also served as Gazmin’s senior military assistant from 2010 to 2013.

Becoming chief
He said he learned of his appointment to the post from President Aquino who talked to him late last week, but he was not then at liberty to discuss the issue.

Iriberri said he had not given any thought to where he would be at the end of his military career.

“I was focused on what tasks were given to me as the commanding general of the Philippine Army. I did not focus on being the AFP chief,” he said.

All soldiers dream of becoming generals, but not necessarily thinking of what post they will reach, he said.

Iriberri beat four other contenders for AFP chief: Philippine Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado, Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, Western Command chief Vice Adm. Alexander Lopez and Central Command chief Lt. Gen. Nicanor Vivar.

Iriberri said he strongly believed in the “Desiderata,” the 1926 prose poem of Max Ehrmann, saying he does not try to be different but only to make a difference.

“I will just make a difference. My mantra in every position I take is that I want to leave my position better than I started it,” he stressed.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy Matikas Class of 1983, Iriberri is the 46th chief of the AFP.

Prior to his appointment as AFP chief, he was the 56th chief of the Philippine Army for 17 months.

Iriberri was the first in his batch to become a division commander and the first in his class to get a three-star general rank.

He holds a master’s degree in management and defense studies from the University of Canberra in Australia and also finished a United Nations Staff Officer course from Sweden, High Defense course from Spain and other local military career courses.

Iriberri also received five Distinguished Service Star Medals, an Outstanding Achievement Medal, two Gold Cross Medals and numerous military merit and commendation medals.

He joined the AFP in March 1983 after graduating from the PMA, serving in the infantry, intelligence, public relations and staff functions and international peace support operations of the Philippine Army.

While leading the Task Group Panther “COMAG” of the First Scout Ranger Regiment in Central Mindanao, his unit killed 10 Abu Sayyaf members in an encounter in South Cotabato in January 1996, with no casualties on the government side.

In March 1996, he led three Scout Ranger companies in attacking Camp Didagen in the Reina Regente mountains of Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao, then the second largest camp of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The camp was eventually seized without any casualties on the government side.

It was during his term as commander of the 503rd Infantry Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division in 2013 that Abra, an election hot spot, saw its most peaceful elections ever.

In 2013 while leading the 7th Infantry Division, Iriberri was responsible for the declaration of Ilocos and Pampanga provinces as peaceful and ready for further development.

He was also appointed spokesperson of the Philippine Army in 2000 during the government’s all-out war against the MILF which resulted in the fall of Camp Abubakar.

‘Perfect choice’
He was also part of the United Nations Guards Contingent in Iraq and was later designated as sector commander of the Erbil Sector, the biggest sector in that mission.

He was given an outstanding rating in the UN Performance Evaluation Form.

Lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Party (LP) were effusive in their praises for Iriberri’s appointment.

Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento, the LP secretary general, said President Aquino made the perfect choice in picking Iriberri, whom he described as a “media-savvy” and “techie” warrior.

In a statement, the congressman said the new AFP chief “represents the new and emerging breed of military officers who are not only adept in combat tactics but are also very skillful in civil military operations and technology management.”

“He is not just a warrior but he is also media-savvy and also has a long experience in civil military operations. I heard he is also a techie and has a good grasp on the latest developments in military technology,” Sarmiento said.

Sarmiento is chair of the Multi-Sectoral Advisory Board of the Philippine Army’s transformation road map and vice chair of the Multi-Sector Governance Council of the AFP.

‘Politically neutral’
“Iriberri’s history of nonpartisanship also made him the perfect choice as Catapang’s replacement as the AFP would be at the forefront in ensuring a clean, honest and peaceful elections in 2016,” he said.

“His experience in Abra can be used to ensure that we will have an honest, clean and peaceful elections in 2016,” he said.

Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas said Iriberri’s appointment was a testament of Mr. Aquino’s commitment to ensure an honest, orderly and peaceful election in 2016.

He described Iriberri as “a highly professional and politically neutral military officer,” whose appointment “should be taken as an assurance that the military will exercise impartiality in next year’s national polls.”

“President Aquino made a very good choice in Lt. Gen. Iriberri. His appointment should now extinguish all speculations that the administration is setting the stage to cheat in 2016,” Treñas said.

Treñas said that although Iriberri is set to retire in April 2016, or a month before the actual election period, he expects that his term would be extended because the appointment ban will be already in effect.

He cited Iriberri’s experience and “sterling performance” as commander in the country’s most politically troubled areas such as Abra and Nueva Ecija.

“Lt. Gen. Iriberri is not just a professional soldier. President Aquino also knows he is color-blind when it comes to politics. This only shows that the Aquino administration is not only taking bold steps to reform the government but is also taking the initiative to reform the country’s electoral system,” he said.