Air Force chief 'not thinking' of AFP top post

MANILA, Philippines - Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado on Wednesday  shrugged off rumors that he is being eyed to succeed Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, who will retire from the service next month.

“I’m not really thinking about that at this time. I’m very much contended with where I am now,” Delgado told reporters in Villamor Airbase in Pasay.

“I am very much focused on the directions of the Philippine Air Force and to be fair with the rest of the guys, everybody, all generals, are qualified to occupy the Chief of Staff position,” he added.

Delgado said the Board of Generals has yet to deliberate on who would succeed Bautista, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on July 20.

The Board of Generals consists of the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, the Vice Chief of Staff, the Deputy Chief of Staff and the heads of the Navy, Army and Air Force.

When asked whether he dreams of becoming the chief of the 125,000-strong armed forces, Delgado said: “We are okay here.”

A member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) of former President Corazon Aquino, Delgado assumed as the 33rd Air Force chief on April 25.

He is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class ’82 and a former Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs.

As a pilot, Delgado flew MG-520s and T28 Trojan combat aircraft, T-41D and SF-260 trainers, and BN Islander multi-engine passenger aircraft.

Delgado is no stranger to the risks being faced by pilots who handle aging air assets as he survived two crashes during his younger years.

While some view Delgado's PSG stint during the first Aquino administration as an advantage, sources said nothing is final until the president signs the appointment papers. –  with reports from V. Amoroso and A. Bajo