President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Arthur M. Cordura, the former vice-chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), as the new chief of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
In a change of command of ceremony in Pasay City, Mr. Marcos urged Mr. Cordura to guide the Air Force to make it “more agile, credible, and responsible to the demands of an ever-evolving security landscape.”
“These times call for vigilance and resolve. There is no room for complacency, for any pause in our efforts to risk compromising the safety and welfare of the Filipino people,” the Philippine leader said.
Before his latest appointment, Mr. Condura served as vice chief of staff of the AFP.
Mr. Cordura, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Bigkis-Lahi” Class of 1990 and a member of the PAF Flying School Class of 1992, joined the 15th Strike Wing and attained all levels of flight qualifications as Combat Crew Training Pilot, Element Lead Training Pilot, and Instructor Pilot of the MD-520 Military Gunship.
He also held other key positions in his military career, such as vice-commander and chief of air staff of PAF, commander of Air Force Reserve Command, and wing commander of the 520th Air Base Wing, among others.
Mr. Cordura succeeded Stephen P. Parreño, who retired upon reaching the mandatory age of 56 on December 12.
President Marcos highlighted the former PAF chief’s significant contributions, including 2,500 flying hours focused on external defense and 450 maritime patrol missions dedicated to safeguarding the nation's territorial integrity.
“These are not just records. They represent vigilance, determination, and an unwavering resolve to safeguard our airspace. In these efforts, our skilled pilots have remained resolute, intercepting threats [and] monitoring unidentified tracks that encroach upon our airspace”, Mr. Marcos said.