President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged the 39 newly-promoted generals and flag officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to continue serving the country with passion and always be reminded of the huge responsibilities that come with their ranks.

The newly-minted senior officers from the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Navy took their oaths of office before the Commander-in-Chief at the Malacañang Palace on Monday afternoon.

In his speech, Marcos reminded the senior AFP officers that “there is much still left to do, missions to accomplish, and service to be selflessly rendered to the people.”

“If any, the stars on your shoulder do not just indicate rank, but the reminders of the responsibilities – added responsibilities that you now have to carry on those shoulders,” he said.

“The more stars there are, the heavier the responsibility. Be mindful always of the weight that that carries,” he added.

The President also congratulated the military officers for their well-deserved promotions, even as he told them not to let the Filipino people down.

“Malaki ang inyong katungkulan na gagampanin pa. Mabigat pa ang mga gawaing nagaantay sa inyo. Marami pa tayong misyon na haharapin. At higit sa lahat, malaki ang inaasahan sa inyo ng sambayanan na ating pinaglilingkuran at ng Republika na ating pinagtatanggol at minamahal (You have a lot of work to do. The tasks that await you are still heavy. We still have many missions to face. And above all, the people we serve and the Republic we defend and love have great expectations of you),” Marcos said.

“Huwag natin silang biguin. Iyan ang kapalit ng bago ninyong ranggo. Iyan ang sukli sa kanilang pananalig sa inyo (Let’s not let the people down. That is in the payment for your new rank. That is the reward for their faith in you),” he added. (PNA)

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