Retired General Gilbert I. Gapay, who served as the 54th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was interred with full military honors at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Monday, November 10, according to the AFP Public Affairs Office.
Philippine Flag Turned Over to the Gapay Family
The AFP Public Affairs Office said Major General Jonjie C. Juguilon of the Philippine Army, acting as military host during the ceremony, formally presented the Philippine flag to General Gapay's family. The family rendered a final salute in his memory as part of the interment rites.
The Libingan ng mga Bayani, the country's national military cemetery located in Taguig City, served as the venue for the ceremony, which followed the AFP's established protocols for according full military honors to its highest-ranking former officers.
Gapay Was the 54th AFP Chief of Staff
According to a press release issued by Colonel Xerxes A. Trinidad, Chief of the AFP Public Affairs Office, General Gapay held the position of the 54th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines — the highest rank of military leadership in the country.
AFP Marks Ceremony as Institutional Tribute
In its official statement, the AFP said the honors rendered at the interment reflected the military's longstanding tradition of recognizing the service and sacrifices of personnel who reached the institution's highest levels of leadership.
The AFP further described the ceremony, announced publicly on November 11, as the institution's formal commemoration of General Gapay's legacy as a soldier and former head of the country's armed forces.
Source: AFP Public Affairs Office