Assumption speech of  LTGEN DELFIN N BANGIT AFP As the 51st Commanding General , Philippine Army Change Of Command Ceremony, Philippine Army HPA Grandstand Fort Andres Bonifacio Metro Manila 04 MAY 2009 Have I treaded all alone, I could not have gone this far. Allow me then to take this opportunity to thank those who have walked with me. To our commander-in-chief, her Excellency PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO, my sincerest and heartfelt gratitude for believing that I can lead the Philippine army in this crucial time of our anti- insurgency campaign. Our guest of honor and presiding officer, the HONORABLE GILBERTO C TEODORO JR, Secretary Of National Defense and our former chief of  STAFF GEN. ALEXANDER YANO for endorsing me to the position; LT GENERAL VICTOR SABIO IBRADO, our newly appointed chief of staff - your excellent leadership and wisdom shall make a huge advantage for my incoming assumption of post. The members of the board of generals whom I thank for acknowledging my capability and led to this designation: the former Vice Chief of  Staff - LTGEN CARDOZO M LUNA; the incumbent deputy chief of staff - LTGEN RODRIGO F MACLANG; the flag officer in command, Philippine navy - VICE ADMIRAL FERDINAND S GOLEZ; the commanding general, Philippine air force - LTGEN OSCAR H RABENA The former chiefs of the Philippine army - you are the giants from whose shoulders I will gather strength and wisdom to stand My mentors who have guided and pushed me to become what i am now GENERAL BENJAMIN CRUZ, my brigade commander in Samar in the 1980's. GENERAL SALVADOR MISON, my area commander in region 8 and Luzon GENERAL FAVIC, my RUC commander in northern Luzon; GENERAL HERMOGENES ESPERON JR, my commanding general in PSG, our former chief of the Philippine army and chief of staff of the AFP; Our men in the field who have worked with us in the frontlines - our soldiers, your soldiers - who, despite agitation and provocation by vested political interests, have chosen to remain steadfast and loyal to the chain of command, like all professional soldiers of the AFP. My only reason for being, my wife daisy, whose love has sustained me; our eldest son Dondon with his wife apple, our only daughter Diane and our youngest Dex, who are the meaning of my sacrifices; and my grandson Jason, our source of joy and whose innocence has become an inspiration; My Sisters And Brothers, Ate Aurora, Kuya Danny, Lily, Alice, Lulu, Renato, Reynaldo, and Edgar who prayed and dreamed with me; this honor is for our family. "Kung Buhay Lang Papa At Mama", I am sure they will be very happy, My mother-in-law Encarnacion Magdangal and my Sisters-In-Law, Mel, Bella, and Carol who have been constant support to my own family; To all those who prayed for me and above all to god who have never, even for a moment, left my side; The context "Sa Taong May Hiya, Ang Salita'y Panunumpa." This was from Kartilya Ng Katipunan, the moral guide of our great forefathers who died for our freedom. With this same intensity of sincerity and commitment, I, the new commanding general of the Philippine army, accept the responsibility bestowed upon me and lay down before you my leadership thrusts. As I take the helm of this noble organization, I cannot help but be reminded of our biggest challenges - the entire 40 years of havoc brought about by the communist terrorist movement in our nation; the violence in Mindanao, and the stalled development of our country. Our commander-in-chief had clearly ordered to make the Maoist-inspired communist insurgency insignificant by 2010. The people await us. Every service we can give and each soldier who proudly stands to be counted is indispensable. The state of the Philippine army today is the product of years of refinement made by former CGPAS. I know that it will be difficult for me to equal the performance of my predecessor, LTGEN IBRADO. He has laid the foundation upon which our efforts will firmly stand. With much admiration and respect therefore, I intend to continue what he has begun with the end goal of delivering a modern and capable army which will be the source of national pride. Moreover, I will bring the greatest lesson that I have learned and understood from years of experience - that the traditional military solution to the problem of insurgency is but a small fraction compared to what can be achieved through peoples' involvement and cooperation. As I have repeatedly been emphasizing, when it comes to insurgency, my mission is not to kill them all, but to win them all. Our citizenry will find that by standing against the insurgents, we can form a strong partnership that is more potent and lasting than any armed solution, no matter the intensity. Our soldiers, meanwhile, will internalize winning the hearts and minds of the people instead of combat scoreboards as measurements of success. Within this framework, I shall work very hard so that you will have a Philippine army that will serve our countrymen at all times, whether in times of peace or in times of war. Programs and priorities Personnel management I shall continue to work for the upliftment of our soldiers, provide them with training that shall not only benefit the army, but themselves personally. I will continue to address morale and welfare programs for the soldiers to inspire them and let them feel that each one belongs to a bigger family, that of the Philippine army. Training Every soldier must be good in basic soldiery and technology. We shall therefore upgrade the capabilities of every individual army trooper through trainings. Our trainings will be geared toward the needs of today and the demands of the next decade. Our men should catch up on the modernization that is happening worldwide. Organization True to the continuing need for a responsive Philippine army, our organizational structure will intensively be studied. I intend to reconfigure the battalions to make each of them tailored fit for their mission and i will try to create a civil-military-operations battalion in every infantry division that will enhance the non-traditional roles of the pa personnel such as the army literacy patrol system, community organizing, disaster relief operation, public assistance, and a lot more. We will extensively pursue and give more focus on the reservist military program. Intelligence It is also my intention to enhance the field of intelligence through intelligence fusion, which is geared at addressing the gaps among the various levels of intelligence units of the Philippine army. Through this, we will be able to carry-out precise combat operations both in the tactical and strategic levels. Logistics There is a truism that logistics alone cannot win war but the absence of it can cause defeat. We will continue to provide the necessary requirements for the capability to fight and win, so that our soldiers can accomplish the mission for the armed forces. I will continue the infrastructure projects started by LTGEN IBRADO on the improvement of our facilities, and gradually embark on its further enhancement for a better working environment. I will prioritize rehabilitation and provision of much-needed quarters for our men. In my tenure, I intend to speed-up the attainment of our goals through modernization and capability upgrade. It is my hope that when I retire I will leave an army that is modern, capable and responsive. Cultivating the right values We will reinvigorate the patriotic fervor in every Filipino soldier as what our forefathers have always dreamed of. All together, we will bring back soldiery values of valor and honor. The Philippine army will continue to be obedient to all laws, legal orders, and instructions from all our superiors. I strongly commit to lead an army that is 100% loyal to the constitution and to the chain of command I will lead an army that is determined to fight all the forces that will try to destroy the freedom and independence of the Filipino people, be it foreign or domestic. On the continued internalization of upholding human rights, my efforts will go beyond mere advocacy. The Philippine army will live by it every single day. I understand that human rights issues are disheartening to soldiers; for we put our lives at stake - and many have lost theirs - to protect the Filipino people. We help restore communities threatened by the enemies who would not hesitate to use arms and endanger the innocent Filipinos just so the godless ideologies they espouse could be advanced. Make no mistake. I will waste no time not only to punish, but to bring justice to members of the Philippine army who would dare violate human rights. With same fervor I will also work hard to protect soldiers who would be victims of human rights violations. Let every army trooper then live by the code of conduct of a Filipino soldier. I want each and every one of you to know this not with your minds but with your hearts; only by doing so shall we be able to walk with pride in the face of all nations. This is my pledge and commitment that i will do. As we always say when we recite our code of conduct, we say and I say, to all these I pledge my life, my treasure, and my sacred honor. The late SENATOR BENIGNO AQUINO is right: the Filipinos are worth dying for. Our national pride will shine forth as we walk together in cadence with our unparalleled love of country and patriotism. The entire Philippine army organization will serve as the most potent cord of the nation, a binding cord for socio-economic development. We will further reach out and lend a helping hand to the Filipino people as we have always done before. All these we vow to achieve all under god's guidance and embrace; for we shall be nowhere lest we acknowledge the source of these strength and admonition - our god, the power of all. Conclusion Beyond all speculations, I do not need to elaborate what kind of commander I will be. My actions will show what kind of commander I am. I only ask for one more thing: that in every little action, do what is good. Consistent little acts of goodness bring greatness. Now I shall start my job walking with faith, with trust in god that he shall lead and clear my path. To god be the glory. Thank you! And now, to proceed to my next task, that is to introduce our guest of honor and speaker. Ladies And Gentlemen, HONORABLE GILBERTO C TEODORO JR, the Secretary Of National Defense.