To our guest of honor and presiding officer who will be introduced later; Atty. Salvador Campos Medialdea, the Executive Secretary, sir our apology for a short notice; to our J1 the Admiral Rosal, sir, to our J3 Major General Galvez; and of course my predecessor and my mista, Rear Admiral Ubando and his family, I heard the endearing qualities that you have described your wife — lovely and very supportive; to those who were already mentioned awhile ago, I’m not… mention them again, those are for the guests and the personalities mentioned; to all the officers, men and women of the Presidential Security Group; to all the media present here; ladies and gentlemen, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.

Sir, with your kind indulgence, I’d like to acknowledge the following personalities who spared their time just to witness this memorable event, of course I’d like acknowledge the presence of my classmate, PMA Sandiwa Class of 1985, kindly stand up [applause] Thank you. Alam ko marami na akong utang sa inyo for not attending the special occasion pero babawi ako sa inyo pag nandito na ako sa Metro Manila. Masyadong excited ‘yung mga mistah ko, ba’t ‘di daw isinama ‘yung mga wife, siyempre kailangan hiwalay ‘yan. So, I’d like to acknowledge the wife of my mista, kindly stand up [applause] thank you. So same endearing qualities that our outgoing PSG commander had mentioned, his wife — lovely and supportive; Ma’am Isabel and Isa Suntay, the one responsible who supported the Northern Luzon Command in our projects so there are the one who heads the Tarlac Heritage Foundation; Ms. Peng Alinio [applause] Siya any boss ng media sa Davao — who made my life easier in dealing with the media in Davao; Colonel Louie Dagoy, thank you also for coming [applause]; and for all those who just came here to see the President but I’m sorry the President is not around. So, maybe you just can go to Davao and have selfie with him.

Foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty for divine intervention to get me to this position and be where I am right now. I would also like to thank my family, though they are not here, for their prayers and unwavering support to be able to stay with my journey and overcome the challenges at hand.

Today, the Presidential Security Group or PSG makes history as it fulfills its mandate to secure the most popularly elected 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines and our Commander in Chief — a man of a humble origin who detest any form of security even while discharging his immediate pass duty as the longest sitting mayor of Davao City, a former vice mayor and a former congressman.

As I stand before all and humbly accept the designation of Commander PSG, I thank President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for his trust and confidence in my ability to lead this elite unit. I would like also to express my deepest gratitude to our guest of honor and presiding officer for allowing me lead the men and women who are responsible in shielding the President from harm and danger.

Our mission has been clearly defined as the lead agency tasked with providing security for the President, Vice President and their immediate families, as well as, for visiting heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

It is our responsibility to secure the seat of government thus all the facilities and transportation assets used by the President in carrying out his respective duties. In instances when they’re given a directive by the Office of the President, the PSG may assist the PNP and other law enforcement agencies in their anti-organized crime undertakings, a hallmark of President Duterte’s administrative agenda.

The PSG, collectively, under my leadership shall rise up to the challenge of securing the President, according to established and tested security protocols with emphasis on a highly professional, proactive persevering and dedicated discharge of duty by all members of the PSG. Let the PSG command symbol be proudly wear, be a constant reminder of our sworn duty, allegiance to our unit, branches of service and our beloved country. Being part of PSG is an honor each time we live this gated compound on official duty.

Let us ask the good Lord to keep our president safe under our watch. As we perform our mandate, let us remember our comrads in the battle field, let us find time at the start of each day to offer a prayer for their well being, safety and accept… success rather of there mission, for their victory is ours as well.

The PSG’s guiding principle under the Duterte administration shall be governed by Section 1 of Article 11 of the 1987 Constitution, entitled “Accountability of Public Officers” which says public office is a public trust, public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.

A fitting example has been set by no less than the President himself, a simple inauguration that should not (unclear) nor inconvenience the citizenry and will not drain the government coffers. Our commander-in-chief’s distinct brand of genuine humility in public service for our country’s 120 million Filipinos, as manifested from the days dealing to his actual assumption of the presidency, should be part and parcel of the conduct of his people

at his command.

Fellow officers and men of the PSG, I (unclear) your whole-hearted cooperation and support in working towards the attainment of a harmonious interpersonal relationship built on the guiding principles of the PSG — integrity, service and excellence.

Throughout my military career, I have looked forward to each and every new assignment as a chance for a positive contribution to the work place and opportunity to better myself in service of God and country. I have always made it a point to look at each posting, no matter how grim as a challenge for I believe that the success of every endeavor is the sum total of the collective efforts of each and every member of the unit.

Andrew Carnegie stated: “Teamwork is the ability to work together towards a common vision and the ability to direct individual accomplishments towards organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.

Patrick Lencioni reminds us that “teamwork begins by building trust and the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.” And last but not the least, Norman Shilde said: “A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of others.”

There is no unit or installation in any branch of service that can be totally prepared any untoward event, hence the commitment to strive for excellence through thorough preparation, brain storming, drills and exercises — all this will make us overcome whatever challenges lie ahead.

To my mistah, the Rear Admiral Ubando, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. I truly appreciate the assistance you provided to the security team when we were in Davao City. Good luck and goodbye. Goodbye means goodness be yours everywhere.

To the men and women of PSG, from today onwards, let us join hands in working together a shared vision to transform the PSG into a more cohesive, socially relevant, selfless, disciplined, dedicated and an incorruptible unit, truly worthy of emulation.

May God bless us all, as we embark on a new chapter in the annals of the Philippine history. Inshallah. Mabuhay ang PSG. Mabuhay po tayong lahat.