MANILA (Updated) -- Army commander Hernando Iriberri was appointed Friday by President Benigno Aquino III to succeed outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang, who is retiring on Saturday after reaching the mandatory military retirement age of 56.
Lieutenant General Iriberri, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) "Matikas" Class of 1983, is the country's 46th AFP chief.
Iriberri's stint as AFP chief would be short as he has only less than a year before retiring on April 22, 2016.
In turnover ceremonies at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, the newly-appointed AFP chief vowed to bring peace to the countryside.
He took command of the 80,000-strong Philippine Army (PA) in February 2014.
Prior to his designation as the 56th Army chief, he was the 22nd commander of the 7th Infantry Division.
He also commanded the 503rd Infantry Brigade in the Cordillera Administrative Region, and served as Chief of the United Command Staff, Southern Luzon Command.
He was also designated as Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of National Defense.
Iriberri's combat duties were mostly in Mindanao. As a young lieutenant, he served as platoon Leader of Delta Company, Executive Officer of Alpha Company, and Company Commander of Bravo Company, all under the 23rd Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.
From 2002 to 2004, he commanded the 25th Infantry Battalion that was then deployed in Cotabato and Davao areas. In 1995, he led the Task Group Panther of the elite First Scout Ranger Regiment.
Relatedly, Iriberri has been an excellent staff officer having served in various capacities as Chief, Operations Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, OJ3, AFP; Chief of Staff, Philippine Military Academy; Executive Assistant to the Commanding General, Philippine Army; Head Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff, AFP; and Chief of the Military Operations Department, Training and Doctrine Command.
In 2000, he also served as the Chief of the Office of the Army Chief Public Affairs and designated as the Army spokesperson.
Early on his career, he was exposed to intelligence work, having been assigned with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, OJ2, GHQ, and detailed for a while with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
In his continued pursuit for knowledge and desire to learn and improve his craft, he finished several courses, both local and foreign.
Most notable of these are the Strategic Human Resource Management Course at the Asian Institute of Management, International Visitor Leadership Program at the United States Department of State, United Nations Staff Officer Course in Sweden, Master of Management in Defense Studies at the University of Canberra in Australia, and the Australian Command and Staff Course, also in Canberra.
Throughout his 34 years in active military service, he has been conferred with numerous awards, medals, commendations and recognitions.
He is a recipient of five Distinguished Service Stars, two Gold Cross Medals, one Bronze Cross Medal, several Military Merit Medals and Military Commendation Medals.
Iriberri is the second Mindanaoan to hold the top military post since he was born and raised in Surigao del Sur.
The first Mindanaoan AFP chief was retired General Alexander Yano who is a native of Zamboanga del Norte. (PNA/Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/Sunnex)