Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado became the 50th commanding general of the Philippine army May 14, vowing the vision of a professional, capable and responsive army for peace and development and an end to decades of communist insurgency.

In his change of command ceremony speech in Manila, Ibrado said, “To further bolster our standard of professionalism, we shall continue to enforce strictly the rule of meritocracy as a way of life in Team Army. We shall, therefore, ensure that positions of leadership and promotions are obtained through competence and hard work, and not through patronage politics.”

Meritocracy, and discipline are part of the solution to ending insurgency, he said. “We shall ensure that the Army soldier imbibes and lives by the basic tenets of military discipline for I believe that the best weapon against insurgency is a disciplined soldier.”

The Army also advocates respect for and protection of human rights, he said. “We shall ensure that human rights across all strata of society will be respected and protected at all times…Team Army shall continue to take the lead in the AFP’s initiatives for internal security as we draw closer to the attainment of decisive victory over insurgency by 2010.”

Capability was also high on Ibrado’s priority list, and he said initiatives begun under his predecessors will continue forward.

“Through the Capability Upgrade Program, we will make sure that our hardware assets are in step with advances in military technology,” he said in the speech published on the Philippine Army website. “We will also sustain the readiness of our troops and units through continuous professional development training and physical fitness programs, which are important criteria in assignments to key positions, schooling and specialized assignments.”

Additionally, Ibrado said, “I commit only my best toward the sustained and vigorous pursuit of our ongoing thrusts and programs. Having addressed the capability and readiness requirements of our rifle squads, we will now focus on building the capabilities of our platoons, and eventually onward to the companies, battalions, and higher echelons.”

At the same time, the army will closely monitor the career and specialized training requirements for its officers, NCOs and other ranks, he said.

The army will be responsive to the goals and objectives of the military higher headquarters and government, he said. “The dynamic participation of all our team members shall enable us to confidently and sincerely deliver our services to the people, and in turn solicit public involvement in our shared aspirations for peace.”