Retiring Air Force chief Kintanar to ‘move up’ to AFP headquarters

Retiring Air Force chief Lieutenant General Galileo Gerard Kintanar will be "moved up" to the general headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Duterte informed Lorenzana that Kintanar, who had opted for early retirement at age 54, will be replaced by Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez as Air Force commanding chief.

"(Kintanar) will be moved up to GHQ (General Headquarters) as either Vice Chief or TDCS (The Deputy Chief of Staff," said Lorenzana.

"Its the prerogative of the President who he will assign as (Commanding General, Philippine Air Force)," added Lorenzana.

The AFP Vice Chief and TDCS posts, the second and third highest posts in the military heirarchy, are currently occupied by Lt. Gen. Salvador Melchor Mison — who is due to retire June next year — and Vice Admiral Gaudencio Collado, respectively.

Public Affairs chief Colonel Noel Detoyato earlier denied that Kintanar was being relieved from his post due to corruption.

Detoyato said that Kintanar was leaving his post to give the young turks a chance at making the organization better.

“No, he is not relieved for corruption. It's just...[for him] to give way for the junior officers. That is how professional and dynamic the organization is,” Detoyato said.

Kinatanar, who was named Air Force chief in October 2017, was supposed to step down in 2020. Kintanar is 13 months away from mandatory retirement age of 56.

Detoyato maintained there was nothing fishy about Kintanar's early exit.

“No no, it has happened before. It has happened time and again and it just improved our organization,” Detoyato said. — MDM, GMA News