MANILA (3RD UPDATE) - Lieutenant General Eduardo Año is the new Armed Forces chief of staff, replacing General Ricardo Visaya who officially retired today.

AFP vice chief Lieutenant General Glorioso Miranda will succeed Año as Army chief.

In his speech, Año vowed to run after lawless elements including the Abu Sayyaf Group and Maute fighters.

"As your AFP Chief, I will lead our transformation with fervor to realize our vision of a strong, modern, and credible Armed Forces, a source of pride of the Filipino people...I am determined to lead the AFP in this endeavor by pushing forward the modernization of our internal security and territorial defense capabilities," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who led the turnover rites, said Visaya can choose any position he wants. "That is how grateful the nation is to you. Mamili ka ng position. Gusto mo kausapin si [Defense Secretary] Delfin [Lorenzana]," he said.

WHO IS AÑO?

A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 83, Año began his military service on March 11, 1983.

He served as brigade commander of the 201st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, and as commanding general of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division with operational responsibility over Davao Region, parts of Region 12, and two other areas.

Under his leadership, the 10th ID launched an operation that resulted in the killing of Leoncio Pitao aka Kumander Parago, the highest NPA official and most influential leader in the Davao region.

He also served as assistant chief of staff for intelligence of the Army, and then moved up to assistant chief of staff for intelligence of the entire Armed Forces.

During this time, top NPA leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, and Andrea Rosal - alleged NPA commander and daughter of the late NPA spokesman ka Roger Rosal - were captured.

Retired Major General Jovito Palparan, who was accused of abducting student activists Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, was also arrested under Año.

Año was appointed commanding general of the Philippine Army in July 2015.

After his installation as 57th chief of the Army, Año declared his commitment to reduce the number of NPA rebels to less than 1,000 by 2016.

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JONAS BURGOS

Año was implicated in the disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos in 2007, when he was chief of the Philippine Army's intelligence service group.

Jonas' mother Edita Burgos, filed a case against Año and other military officials.

Año was later cleared of all charges, but the Court of Appeals ruled that the AFP was indeed answerable to Burgos' disappearance.

• 'Brains' behind Burgos abduction absolved: HR group

Militant human rights group Karapatan in 2015 also linked Año to "Palparan-style human rights abuses" in Mindanao.

"Since 2014 to present, with Año as commander of the 10th Infantry Division in Mindanao, Karapatan has documented several Palparan-style human rights abuses, which includes extrajudicial killing, disappearances, illegal arrests, torture, hamletting, and forcible evacuation of civilians," the group said.

Año, for his part, has said he never condones extrajudicial killings, and investigates any such allegations of the sort.

Año took courses in the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School in Arizona and in the Israel Counter Terrorism Center. He will reach the mandatory retirement age on October 26, 2017.