THE newly appointed Army commander has been promoted to lieutenant general.

Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista got his third star nearly two months after assuming the top Army position.

He joins the company of 10 or so officers wearing three stars in the Armed Forces. The National Police has three deputy directors general who also wear three stars.

Bautista’s third star was pinned on his uniform on Thursday by the Armed Forces chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa in a ceremony at the Armed Forces General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Bautista’s promotion to lieutenant general must be submitted by Malacañang to the congressional Commission on Appointments when Congress resumes sessions in January.

Since Congress, however, is not in session, Bautista may wear the three stars pending CA confirmation.

If the promotion was done while Congress is in session, Bautista will get to wear the three stars only after confirmation.

In his speech after the promotion ceremony, Bautista thanked President Aquino, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and the Board of Generals for recommending him to the post.

Bautista succeeded the former Army commander, Lt. General Arturo Ortiz, who retired on November 9.

There are still some senior officers who continue to doubt if the Army can fully pursue its mission under Bautista, since he is commanding officers who were originally his seniors.

“Seniority is a deeply-honored and followed tradition. Without seniority, there could be no order. We follow because the one giving us orders is our senior. But Bautista… he’s young,” an officer said.

“My fear is that, instead of focusing on the Army’s mission, he will just use his time in establishing modus vivendi with his former seniors,” he added.

A member of Philippine Military Academy Class 1981, Bautista was the commander of the the Army’s 3rd Infantry “Spearhead” Division before he was appointed as Ortiz’s successor. 

By appointing Bautista as Army commander, President Aquino bypassed other division commanders and even Armed Forces area commanders who are more senior than Bautista, being members of PMA Classes 1978
to 1980.

Meanwhile, no one has been named yet as Bautista’s successor in the 3ID.

As for the Northern Luzon Command, Maj. Gen. Romulo Bambao was reported as the most eligible candidate to take the post that was vacated by Dellosa.

Dellosa left the post of Nolcom commander after his designation as Armed Forces chief of staff.

Bambao, member of Class 1979, is currently the commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Divison.