Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete became the 61st chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during the change of command and retirement ceremony led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday.

Nafarrete replaced General Romeo Brawner Jr. who completed his three-year fixed term as AFP chief of staff.

In his speech, Marcos assured the military that his "administration will continue to invest in the capabilities, readiness, and welfare of our armed forces."

"The command entrusted to you is great. But the purpose is even greater. To safeguard our people. Defend every inch of our land and waters, and secure the future of our republic," he said.

"As we strengthen our defenses, we remain guided by the principle that our ultimate objective is to preserve peace. Stability, and prosperity for our people," he added.

As he assumed the highest military position, Nafarrete noted that under his leadership, "the AFP's foremost imperative is to strengthen territorial defense and further operationalize the comprehensive archipelagic concept."

"The defense of the Philippine territory, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and national interests shall remain our primary responsibility," he said.

"We seek peace, we support dialogue, we respect international law, but our desire for peace must always be supported by credible capability, sustained readiness, and the resolve to defend what rightfully belongs to the Filipino people," he added.

Nafarrete also emphasized the importance of strengthening military alliances and engagements with strategic partners and like-minded nations in support of the country's national defense priorities.

"We shall further expand our unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral exercises and defense engagements as integral components of comprehensive archipelagic defense preparations guided by the country's national interests," he said.

Nafarrete, a member of PMA class of 1990 was appointed as the 67th commanding general of the Philippine Army on July 31, 2025.

He is a Scout Ranger, who has been deployed across the country and has seen extensive combat action up to Kalinga-Apayao in the north, to Negros in Visayas, down to the southern areas of Basilan, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Zamboanga Peninsula. Robina Asido/PHS