“The Board of Generals [BOG] has already deliberated on the matter and the short list is passed to the defense secretary who will submit it to the Commander in Chief,” Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr., Armed Forces spokesman, told reporters in a press briefing on Wednesday in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Ortiz, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1979, will turn over the command to his successor on November 10, three days before reaching his mandatory retirement of age 56.

Burgos said topping the list includes practically all of the three-star and two-star generals in the Army.

But the top contenders, sources said, are Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara, the deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces and newly promoted Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa, Northern Luzon Command chief.

“I think it’s a tossup between the two because the one who will give way for the Army position will almost surely be the next chief of staff of the Armed Forces,” the source said.

Other contenders for the Army position include Maj. Gens. Josue Gaverza, Jorge Segovia, Irineo Espino, Emmanuel Bautista, Elmir de la Cruz, Romulo Bambao, Alfredo Peralta Jr., Noel Coballes and Jose Mabanta Jr.

The officer to be appointed Army commander should have at least one year remaining in the service.

Meanwhile, some of the above-mentioned generals have just been promoted to their present rank. These include Dellosa and Mabanta.

Also promoted to two-star rank are Maj. Gen. Cipriano Gundao and Rear Adm. Miguel Jose Rodriguez. Promoted to one-star rank are Brig. Gens. Richard Siga-an, Manuel Luis Ochotorena, Roberto Almadin, Joselito Avancena Jr. and Elmer Amon; and Commo. Elmer Carillo.

(With Rene Acosta)