Lieutenant General Nestor Ochoa will assume the post of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff in an acting capacity when Gen. Delfin N. Bangit officially retires from the military service on Tuesday, June 22.

The acting Vice Chief of Staff was chosen by the AFP Board of Generals (BOG) to be the caretaker of the top military post in the remaining days of the Arroyo administration.

A former commanding general of the Philippine Army in Western Visayas, Ochoa will head the military until incoming President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino III has appointed his Chief of Staff.

While his tenure as the military’s top brass may turn out to be the shortest should the incoming Commander in Chief choose another general to fill in the post, Ochoa said he feels honored to be taking the position from June 22 to July 1.

A member of PMA Class 1977, Ochoa said he views his position as a critical one in paving the way for a smooth transition of leadership in the military.