General Bangit takes early retirement

Manila: President Gloria Arroyo has accepted the resignation of armed forces chief General Delfin Bangit, a move seen to remove any apprehensions concerning possible bars to a smooth transfer of authority to incoming President Benigno Aquino III.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Charito Planas said the incumbent leader had accepted a notice of early retirement tendered by Bangit recently.

She said Bangit's early retirement, will be effective on June 22.

The top general was apparently forced to submit his resignation ahead of the end of his scheduled retirement on July 21, 2011 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.

"The decision to retire from service early was a decision made by General Bangit himself and the President said she is not in the position to challenge that," Planas said in a palace briefing.

Arroyo is scheduled to step down from the presidency on June 30 at the end of her six year constitutional mandate. Replacing her as head of state and government will be Aquino III who was overwhelmingly voted to office by Filipinos on May 10 in the country's first ever automated elections.

Prior to Bangit's decision to resign, Aquino III said that he will not retain the latter as his armed forces chief. The general is known to be close to Arroyo whom he had served over the past nine years as chief of the presidential guards.