# Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

The Deputy Chief of Staff is a 3-star General or Admiral that is considered as the third highest ranking position in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Deputy Chief of Staff assist both Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff in performing their respective functions in providing intelligence, operational, and logistical reports. The deputy is appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.
The Deputy Chief of Staff also serves as the Director of the Joint Staffs, where they command the Joint Staff composing of the following staffs for various posts: the Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel J1, Deputy Chief of Staff Intelligence J2, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations J3, Deputy Chief of Staff Logistics J4, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, J5, Deputy Chief of Staff for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Targeting Acquisition and Reconnaissance, J6, Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, J7, Deputy Chief of Staff for Education, Training and Doctrine, J8, Deputy Chief of Staff for Retirees and Reservists Affairs, J9, and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Financial Management, J10.

## Background

Prior to Filipino-American War European trained General Antonio Luna was selected by President Emilio Aguinaldo as Assistant Secretary of War and Commanding General of Republican Army. He organized his staff and selected Visayas born Brigadier General Venancio Concepcion as Chief of General Staff to put coordination all the functions of the General Staffs and units. After the war was lost no Filipino Army exists until 1935 when Philippine Commonwealth Army was organized in preparation for its independence in 10 years period. Initial President Manuel Quezon selected Major. Paulino Santos as Chief of Staff but he cannot remove him from his current position as Director of Bureau of Prisons due to the impending transfer of Bilibid Prison out of City of Manila and the undergoing organization of Iwahig and Davao Penal Colonies. Delos Reyes was appointed as acting until Santos is available but Quezon appointed Santos as The Deputy Chief of Staff although he is not doing the function but he wanted him to report to Headquarters of the Army.
After World War II Brigadier General Macario Peralta Jr., war hero and veteran was appointed by President Manuel Roxas to be The Deputy Chief of Staff. He is the first on the post on the modern Philippine Armed Forces.
On June 19, 2020, under the DND Order no. 174, the title of Chief of Staff was renamed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, while the Vice-Chief of Staff as vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and The Deputy Chief of Staff as Chief of the Joint Staff. Although the usage of these titles were deferred.

## Organization and term limit

Under the organization of the AFP, The Deputy Chief of Staff holds a rank of 3-star general officer rank, either Lieutenant General or Vice Admiral. The Deputy Chief of Staff is nominated by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the AFP Board of Generals. The appointee will also be required to be subject to hearings under the Commission on Appointments in order formally approved in their positions. Under the terms of the Republic Act No. 11939, The Deputy Chief of Staff has no fixed term length and is subject to mandatory military retirement once they reach the age of 57. The Deputy Chief of Staff is also eligible to be appointed as the AFP Chief of Staff upon the pleasure the President of the Philippines.

## Officeholders

The following list shows the officeholders of The Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP:
| No. | The Deputy Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Service Branch |
| 1 | Concepcion, VenancioHeneral de Division Venancio Concepcion (March 20, 1843–June 12, 1912) Chief of General Staff | September 28, 1898 | June 10, 1899 | 136 days | Philippine Revolutionary Army |
| 2 | Santos, PaulinoBrigadier General Paulino Santos (1890–1945) Was not doing his function as was still work important projects with Bureau of Prisons but he was appointed so he will keep reporting to Camp Murphy | December 21, 1935 | May 4, 1936 | 135 days | Philippine Constabulary |
| 3 | Lim, VicenteBrigadier General Vicente Lim (1888–1945) Gave up the position to command in the field | December 31, 1938 | August 27, 1941 | 2 years, 271 days | Philippine Army |
| 4 | De Jesus, SimeonBrigadier General Simeon de Jesus (1890–1944) Commanded 51st Provisional Brigade | August 28, 1941 | December 12, 1941 | −94 days | Philippine Army |
| 4 | Peralta, MacarioBrigadier General Macario Peralta Jr. (1890–1945) Resigned in 1946 | December 21, 1945 | December 31, 1946 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 5 | Duque, CalixtoBrigadier General Calixto Duque (1893–1972) | December 31, 1946 | December 31, 1949 | 3 years, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 6 | Vargas, JesusBrigadier General Jesus Vargas (1905–1994) | December 31, 1949 | December 31, 1951 | 3 years, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 7 | Arellano, AlfonsoBrigadier General Alfonso Arellano (1905–1957) | December 21, 1951 | December 31, 1953 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 8 | Cruz, PelagioBrigadier General Pelagio Cruz (1890–1945) | December 21, 1958 | December 31, 1959 | 1 year, 10 days | Philippine Air Force |
| 9 | Papa, RicardoBrigadier General Ricardo Papa (1912–1986) | December 21, 1962 | December 31, 1963 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 10 | Garcia, NicanorMajor General Nicanor Garcia (October 6, 1909–1971) | December 21, 1963 | December 31, 1964 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 11 | Olivares, FlavianoBrigadier General Flaviano Olivares (1911–1997) | December 21,1965 | December 31,1967 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Constabulary |
| 12 | Acab, EugenioBrigadier General Eugenio Acab | December 21, 1967 | December 31, 1969 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 13 | Espaldon, RomuloRear Admiral Romulo Espaldon (1925–2005) | December 21, 1972 | December 31, 1973 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Navy |
| 14 | Ileto, RafaelMajor General Rafael Ileto (October 24, 1920–June 19, 2003) | January 1, 1973 | December 31, 1975 | 2 years, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 15 | Ermita, EduardoMajor General Eduardo Ermita (born 1935) | March 5, 1986 | December 31, 1988 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Constabulary |
| 16 | Flores, GuillermoMajor General Guillermo Flores | December 21, 1988 | December 31, 1990 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 17 | Abadia, LisandroMajor General Lisandro Abadia (1938–2022) | December 21, 1988 | December 31, 1989 | 3 years, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 18 | Baylon, NapoleonRear Admiral Napoleon Baylon | December 21, 1988 | December 31, 1991 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Navy |
| 19 | Aguirre, AlexanderMajor General Alexander Aguirre | December 21, 1990 | December 31, 1991 | 3 years, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 20 | Filler, AlfredoMajor General Alfredo Filler | December 21, 1991 | December 31, 1993 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 21 | Acedera, ArnulfoMajor General Arnulfo Acedera Jr. | December 21, 1951 | December 31, 1953 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Air Force |
| 22 | Mariano, ClementeMajor General Clemente Mariano (1928–2017) | December 21, 1995 | December 31, 1996 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 23 | Villareal, IsmaelMajor General Ismael Villareal | December 21, 1997 | December 31, 1998 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 24 | Fernandez, LuisitoRear Admiral Luisito Fernandez | December 21, 1995 | December 31, 1996 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Navy |
| 25 | Calimlim, JoseMajor General Jose Calimlim | December 21, 1999 | December 31, 2000 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 26 | Abaya, NarcisoLieutenant General Narciso Abaya (born 1948) | December 21, 2001 | December 31, 2002 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 27 | Delos Reyes, AristonVice Admiral Ariston Delos Reyes (born 1950) | December 21, 2002 | December 31, 2003 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 28 | Maclang, RodrigoLieutenant General Rodrigo Maclang | December 21, 2003 | December 31, 2003 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 29 | Adan, EdilbertoLieutenant General Edilberto Adan | December 21, 2004 | December 31, 2005 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 30 | Catacutan, MarioVice Admiral Mario Catacutan | December 21, 2006 | December 31, 2007 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Navy |
| 31 | Oban, EduardoLieutenant General Eduardo Oban (born 1955) | December 21, 2009 | December 31, 2010 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Air Force |
| 32 | Fallorina, EdgarLieutenant General Edgar Fallorina (born 1961) | December 21, 2011 | December 31, 2012 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Air Force |
| 33 | Kagaoan, ErickVice Admiral Erick Kagaoan | December 21, 2016 | December 31, 2018 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Navy |
| 34 | Collado, GaudencioVice Admiral Gaudencio Collado | December 21, 2017 | December 31, 2018 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Navy |
| 35 | Reyes, Rommel AnthonyVice Admiral Rommel Anthony SD Reyes served as acting Vice Chief of Staff | March 27, 2022 | March 27, 2023 | 315 days | Philippine Navy |
| - | Gonzales, WilliamLieutenant General William Gonzales (born 1967) Acting Capacity | January 22, 2023 | March 27, 2023 | 1 year, 0 days | Philippine Army |
| 36 | Gaerlan, Charlton SeanLieutenant General Charlton Sean Gaerlan | March 28, 2023 | October 16, 2024 | 1 year, 202 days | Philippine Marine Corps |
| - | Malinit, AugustineLieutenant General Augustine Malinit Acting Capacity | October 16, 2024 | November 5, 2024 | 20 days | Philippine Air Force |
| 37 | Larida, Jimmy D.Lieutenant General Jimmy D. Larida | November 5, 2024 | March 7, 2025 | 133 days | Philippine Marine Corps |
| 38 | Roldan, Rommel P.Lieutenant General Rommel P. Roldan | March 7, 2025 | Incumbent | 11 days | Philippine Air Force |