MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine military’s second-in-command has been appointed chief of the Philippine Air Force. Lieutenant General Arthur Cordura officially assumed his post on Thursday, December 19, during a change of command and retirement ceremony for the outgoing Air Force chief, Lieutenant General Stephen Parreño.
Cordura’s selection was made official days earlier on December 16, through an approval letter from the Office of the President. Cordura was endorsed by both Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. and the AFP Board of Generals.
Cordura has been the AFP’s second-in-command since November 2022, or just a few months before a major shakeup of the Marcos administration’s defense and security lineup. Just months later, in January 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. brought back Andres Centino for a short-lived second run as AFP chief. Days after that, Marcos appointed former military chief Eduardo Año as his National Security Adviser, replacing Clarita Carlos.
The current AFP chief, Brawner, was appointed in July 2023.
Cordura belongs to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Bigkis Lahi Class of 1990 and has served as vice commander of the PAF, chief of its Air Staff, commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, and commander of its 520th Air Base Wing, among other posts. Parreño, whom he replaced, belongs to a younger class — PMA Sambigsig Class of 1991.
Cordura would not be a stranger to the tasks that await him in a military that’s been shifting its focus to external defense. The PAF, as lacking in resources at it may be, plays a huge role in safeguarding the Philippines from external threats and incursions, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, which China claims as its own.
The PAF has a long wishlist — the most expensive items are additional fighter jets. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. himself has said that the PAF would need at least 36 more multirole fighter (MRF) jets. The PAF only has 12 South Korean-made FA-50PHs.
The PAF recently acquired two air surveillance radar systems from Japan, with three more expected in the immediate future. The Philippines is among the top recipients of the Japan’s newly-established Official Security Assistance framework. – Rappler.com