Vice-Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines | |
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Department of National Defense | |
Type | Military Leadership |
Status | Active |
Abbreviation | VCSAFP |
Member of | AFP Board of Generals |
Reports to | Secretary of National Defense (SND) Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) |
Residence | Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines |
Seat | Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines |
Nominator | AFP Board of Generals |
Appointer | President of the Republic of the Philippines with Commission of Appointment approval |
Term length | Mandatory Retirement Age at 57 |
Precursor | Vice-Chief of Staff of the Philippine Commonwealth Army |
Formation | September 28, 1899 |
First holder | Major General Ambrosio Flores |
Succession | The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Army |
Unofficial names | Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs |
Deputy | The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines |
Vice-Chief of Staff sometimes appointed to lower post with the same rank. |
The Vice-Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (VCSAFP) is the second highest military officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. As principal assistant of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, he or she assists in administrative matters and in their operational duties, as well as in policy conceptualization and implementation matters in the AFP, while Chief of Staff focus on military operations and the country's security. The Vice-Chief of Staff also assists the AFP Chief of Staff in their absence and presides the meeting on the AFP Chief of Staff's behalf. The Vice-Chief of Staff holds a rank of 3-star officer as Lieutenant General or Vice Admiral (O-9) and is appointed by the President of the Philippines who is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
The 48th and incumbent Vice-Chief of Staff is Lieutenant General Arthur Cordura, who assumed the post on November 22, 2022.
The position of Vice-Chief of Staff can be traced prior the Philippine–American War in 1899 were in General Ambrosio Flores was selected as Assistant Chief of Operations under General Antonio Luna. He took command in acting capacity upon his death in June 1899 until General Aguinaldo took over the command of revolutionary army personally until the end of the war on March 23, 1901, upon the capture of Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela.
Under the Commonwealth Act No. 1 or also known as National Defense Act of 1935 the position again was created to assist the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Commonwealth Army. Which led to the creation of three major services in the following years Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Marine Corps. While there were officers from the Philippine Constabulary that became Vice-Chief of Staff, the service has been dissolved and transition to civilian law enforcement service Philippine National Police (PNP). In 1982 Major General Fidel V. Ramos was appointed as Vice-Chief of Staff and concurrent Chief of the Philippine Constabulary and Director General of the Integrated National Police. He was later appointed Chief of Staff after EDSA revolution.[1]
On June 19, 2020, under the DND Order no. 174, the title of Vice-Chief of Staff was renamed as the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, while the Chief of Staff as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and The Deputy Chief of Staff as Chief of the Joint Staff. Although the usage of these titles were deferred.
Under the AFP Hierarchy, the Vice-Chief of Staff holds a rank of 3-star general officer rank, either Lieutenant General or Vice Admiral. The Vice-Chief of Staff of the AFP is nominated by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the AFP Board of Generals and will also be required to be subject to hearings under the Commission on Appointments for them to be formally approved in their positions. The Vice-Chief of Staff has no fixed term and is subject to mandatory retirement upon reaching the age of 57 under the Republic Act No. 11939 and is also eligible to be appointed as the AFP Chief of Staff, unless appointed by the president.[2]
This is the list of officers who were appointed as Vice-Chief of Staff or Acting Capacity. In all 9 came from Philippine Constabulary before it was deactivated, 29 from the Philippine Army, 2 from Philippine Marine Corps, 6 from the Philippine Air Force, and 6 from the Philippine Navy.
No. | Portrait | Vice-Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Service Branch | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ambrosio Flores (March 20, 1843–June 12, 1912) Assistant Chief of War Operations | Brigadier GeneralJune 6, 1898 | January 4, 1900 | 1 year, 4 days | Philippine Revolutionary Army | [3] | |
2 | Basilio Valdes | Brigadier GeneralJanuary 11, 1935 | December 28, 1938 | 124 days | Philippine Constabulary | [3] | |
3 | Vicente Lim (1892–1945) [a] | Brigadier GeneralJanuary 11, 1938 | May 4, 1942 | 3 years, 327 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
4 | Mariano Castañeda (December 20, 1892–September 8, 1970) Served as concurrent Provost Marshal and Chief of Constabulary | Brigadier GeneralJanuary 11, 1946 | December 21, 1948 | 2 years, 345 days | Philippine Constabulary | [3] | |
5 | Calixto Duque | Brigadier GeneralJanuary 11, 1949 | May 4, 1951 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
6 | Jesus Vargas | Brigadier GeneralJanuary 11, 1951 | May 4, 1953 | 3 years, 114 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
7 | Eulogio Balao [b] | Brigadier GeneralJanuary 1, 1954 | December 31, 1956 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Constabulary | [3] | |
8 | Alfonso Arellano | Major GeneralJanuary 1, 1956 | December 31, 1957 | 364 days | Philippine Constabulary | [3] | |
9 | Manuel Cabal | Major GeneralJanuary 1, 1958 | December 31, 1959 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Constabulary | [3] | |
10 | Pelagio Cruz | Major GeneralJanuary 1, 1959 | May 4, 1961 | 2 years, 354 days | Philippine Air Force | [3] | |
11 | Alfredo Santos | Major GeneralJanuary 11, 1961 | May 4, 1962 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
12 | Antonio De Veyra | Major GeneralMay 4, 1962 | December 31, 1964 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
14 | Pedro Molina | Major GeneralJuly 12, 1964 | January 12, 1965 | 195 days | Philippine Air Force | [3] | |
12 | Ismael Lapus | Major GeneralMay 4, 1965 | December 31, 1966 | 1 year, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
14 | Victor Osias | Major GeneralJuly 12, 1966 | January 12, 1967 | 195 days | Philippine Air Force | [3] | |
15 | Segundo Velasco | Lieutenant GeneralAugust 16, 1967 | December 31, 1967 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Constabulary | [3] | |
16 | Gaudencio Tobias | Major GeneralJanuary 11, 1968 | May 4, 1969 | 4 years, 114 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
16 | Romeo Espino | Major GeneralJanuary 11, 1970 | May 4, 1972 | 4 years, 114 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
17 | Rafael Ileto [c] [d] | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 1975 | May 4, 1981 | 6 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
19 | Fidel V. Ramos concurrent Chief of Constabulary and Director of Integrated National Police. He was Acting AFP Chief of Staff (1984-1985) | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 1982 | February 26, 1986 | 4 years, 56 days | Philippine Constabulary | [3] | |
20 | Salvador M. Mison | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 1986 | May 4, 1988 | 2 years, 114 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
21 | Renato de Villa [e] | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 1986 | March 4, 1988 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Constabulary | [3] | |
22 | Eduardo Ermita | Major GeneralMarch 4, 1988 | May 4, 1990 | 114 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
23 | Rodolfo Biazon [f] | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 1990 | May 4, 1991 | 1 year, 113 days | Philippine Marine Corps | [3] | |
24 | Guillermo Flores | Major GeneralMarch 4, 1990 | May 4, 1992 | 2 years, 114 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
25 | Alberto Filler [g] | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 1993 | May 4, 1994 | 3 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
26 | Clemente Mariano | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 1996 | May 4, 1997 | 1 year, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
27 | Ismael Villareal | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 1997 | July 16, 1998 | 1 year, 186 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
28 | Luisito Fernandez | Vice AdmiralFebruary 04, 1998 | January 15, 1999 | 227 days | Philippine Navy | [3] | |
- | Eduardo Maria Santos (Acting Capacity & concurrent Navy Flag Officer in Command) | Vice AdmiralJanuary 1, 1999 | April 16, 1999 | 105 days | Philippine Navy | [3] | |
29 | Victor Mayo | Lieutenant GeneralAugust 11, 1999 | April 12, 2000 | 252 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
30 | Jose Calimlim | Lieutenant GeneralApril 12, 2000 | June 4, 2001 | 1 year, 22 days | Philippine Army | [3][4] | |
31 | Gregorio Camiling [h] | Lieutenant GeneralOctober 1, 2001 | November 15, 2002 | 1 year, 45 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
32 | Rodolfo Garcia | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 2004 | May 4, 2005 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
33 | Ariston Delos Reyes (born February 16, 1950) | Vice AdmiralJuly 04, 2004 | February 16, 2006 | 1 year, 227 days | Philippine Navy | [3] | |
34 | Antonio Romero | Lieutenant GeneralApril 30, 2006 | May 07, 2008 | 2 years, 7 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
35 | Cardozo Luna [i] | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 2008 | May 4, 2009 | 1 year, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
36 | Rodrigo Maclang | Lieutenant GeneralApril 30, 2009 | June 9, 2010 | 1 year, 40 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
37 | Nestor Z. Ochoa Acting Chief of Staff (April 2010 - July 2010) | Lieutenant GeneralJune 9, 2010 | May 4, 2011 | 1 year, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
- | Mario Catacutan Acting Vice-Chief & concurrent Deputy Chief of Staff | Rear AdmiralJune 30, 2010 | July 2, 2010 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Navy | [3] | |
38 | Reynaldo Mapagu | Lieutenant GeneralJune 17, 2011 | October 12, 2012 | 1 year, 275 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
39 | Noel Coballes (born 1958) | Lieutenant GeneralOctober 19, 2012 | January 22, 2013 | 95 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
40 | Alan Luga | Lieutenant GeneralFebruary 5, 2013 | May 12, 2014 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
41 | Gregorio Catapang Jr. | Lieutenant GeneralFebruary 14, 2014 | July 18, 2014 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
42 | John S. Bonafos | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 2015 | October 16, 2015 | 2 years, 113 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
43 | Romeo Tanalgo concurrent Commandant Philippine Marine Corps until 2016 | Lieutenant GeneralOctober 16, 2015 | March 10, 2016 | 202 days | Philippine Marine Corps | [3] | |
44 | Glorioso Miranda (born October 8, 1961) Acting AFP Chief of Staff April 12, 2016 - June 30, 2016 [j] | Lieutenant GeneralMarch 10, 2016 | January 12, 2017 | 310 days | Philippine Army | [3] | |
45 | Salvador Melchor B. Mison Jr [k] | Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 11, 2019 | May 4, 2020 | 1 year, 114 days | Philippine Air Force | [3] | |
46 | Gaudencio Collado | Vice AdmiralJune 20, 2019 | November 21, 2020 | 1 year, 154 days | Philippine Navy | [3] | |
47 | Erickson Gloria | Lieutenant GeneralNovember 21, 2019 | September 9, 2022 | 2 years, 292 days | Philippine Air Force | [3] | |
- | Rommel Anthony SD Reyes Acting Capacity | Vice AdmiralSeptember 9, 2022 | November 22, 2022 | 74 days | Philippine Navy | [3] | |
48 | Arthur Cordura | Lieutenant GeneralNovember 22, 2022 | Current | 2 years, 4 days | Philippine Air Force | [3] |