APRIL 21, 2026 - Today, I formally announce my retirement as the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, effective April 21, 2026.
I shall step down from public office after forty-six years of unbroken service to our nation. This decision is borne of a personal necessity to attend to the health of my wife, and to devote myself to my family — a commitment that is, perhaps, long overdue.
My journey in the service of the Filipino people has been the greatest honor of my life. Following my tenure as the 50th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, I was privileged to serve in various capacities: as the Presidential Peace Adviser, Chief Implementer of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, Vaccine Czar, and Officer-in-Charge of the Department of National Defense.
I wish to express my profound gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., for his unwavering trust and for the opportunity to serve the Filipino people. I am deeply honored to President Marcos for extending my tenure, allowing me the continuity to see our shared peace initiatives through to this chapter.
My heart also goes out to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Having walked the ranks with you for decades in winning and securing the peace, I thank you for your gallantry and for the years of shared sacrifice in the name of our flag; you are the silent anchors of our democracy.
To our domestic and international peace partners: your steadfast support has been the bedrock of our progress in the Philippine Comprehensive Peace Process. The milestones we have achieved are a testament to our collective vision, and for this, I am eternally grateful.
To the men and women of Opapru: you are the vanguard of our nation’s peace process. Your dedication to guarding and sustaining peace in our communities is truly admirable. It has been a privilege to lead such a resilient and inspired team for eight solid years.
I transition from this office with full confidence in the future. The Philippine comprehensive peace process is in capable hands. My successor, Secretary Mel Sarmiento, brings with him a distinguished record as a former Vice Mayor, Mayor, House of Representatives, Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, and Chairperson of the Galing Pook Foundation. As a champion of good governance and a man of peace, I am certain that under his leadership, our pursuit of a just and lasting peace will reach even greater heights.
I offer my deepest gratitude to the Almighty for the grace to serve as an instrument of His peace and for the strength to serve the Filipino people.
Though I leave my official post, my heart remains with the nation. Until my final breath, I remain a humble servant of the Filipino people.
