Chief of the Navy (Philippines)

The Flag Officer-in-Command (FOIC) is the overall commander and senior admiral of the Philippine Navy, the naval warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is normally held by a three-star rank of Vice Admiral. He has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the service, including the Philippine Marine Corps, and directly reports to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy
Incumbent Vice Admiral Jose Ma. Ambrosio Q. Ezpeleta since November 15, 2024
Philippine Navy
Abbreviation	FOIC-PN
Reports to	Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Appointer	President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments
Term length	2 years [1]
Constituting instrument	Republic Act No. 11939 [1]
Formation	May 20, 1898
Deputy	Vice-Commander of the Philippine Navy Chief of Naval Staff

Powers and Responsibilities

The Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy serves as the overall head of the Philippine Navy, where he/she has full operational control and command of the Navy is primarily in charge of the overseeing, directing, and managing the navy's daily activities, naval operations, administrative functions, and overall resource management from the navy's enlisted personnel, naval units and up to the navy's different commands. The FOIC directly reports to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and serves as the primary advisor for the Secretary of National Defense in naval matters, which will also be transmitted to the President of the Philippines, who serves as the Commander-in-Chief. The FOIC is also responsible for the navy's strategic planning towards long-term goals, ensuring that the navy can capable and effective in addressing the command's needs, such as the Navy's modernization programs, naval doctrine development, and addressing the professional and welfare programs of the command. The FOIC is also in managing humanitarian assistance operations of the navy's units and international collaboration efforts to other navies in the region.

Organization and Term Limit

The FOIC is directly assisted by two deputies, namely the Vice-Commander of the Philippine Navy, who serves as the FOIC's immediate assistant, and the Chief of Naval Staff. The Vice-Commander also has the power to assist the FOIC in their absence, while the Chief of Naval Staff serves as the overall head of the navy's organizational staff, and is responsible in managing the navy's administrative commands and offices.

The FOIC is directly appointed by the President of the Philippines, who also has the power to end the fixed term of the FOIC at their pleasure, and needs the consent and approval of the Commission on Appointments for confirmation. The FOIC has a fixed-term length of two years, under the provisions of Republic Act No. 11939, and can only be extended in times of war and national emergencies with the approval of Congress.^[1]

List of Flag Officer-in-Command

The following list contains the officers who served as the Flag Officers-in-Command of the Philippine Navy.

Philippine Revolutionary Navy

No.	Portrait	Flag Officer-in-Command, Philippine Revolutionary Navy	Took office	Left office	Time in office	President	Ref.
1		Ledesma, Pascual V.Captain Pascual V. Ledesma	May 20, 1898	July 2, 1902	4 years, 43 days	Emilio Aguinaldo

Offshore Patrol

No.	Portrait	Flag Officer-in-Command, Offshore Patrol	Took office	Left office	Time in office	President	Ref.
1		Ramos, RafaelMajor Rafael Ramos	April 15, 1938	June 18, 1938	64 days	Manuel Quezon
2		Andrada, Jose V.Captain Jose V. Andrada	June 18, 1938	December 4, 1941	3 years, 169 days	Sergio Osmeña
3		Jurado, Enrique L.Captain Enrique L. Jurado (born 1911)	December 4, 1941	October 14, 1944	2 years, 315 days	Manuel Quezon Sergio Osmeña
(2)		Andrada, Jose V.Captain Jose V. Andrada	October 14, 1944	January 2, 1948	3 years, 80 days	Sergio Osmeña Manuel Roxas

Philippine Navy

No.	Portrait	Flag Officer-in-Command, Philippine Navy[2]	Took office	Left office	Time in office	President	Ref.
1		Andrada, Jose V.Commodore Jose V. Andrada	January 2, 1948	August 28, 1949	1 year, 207 days	Manuel Roxas Elpidio Quirino	[3]
2		Francisco, Jose V.Commodore Jose V. Francisco	August 28, 1949	1950s	*	Elpidio Quirino Ramon Magsaysay Carlos P. Garcia	[3]
3		*Commodore *	1950s	1950s	*	Ramon Magsaysay Carlos P. Garcia
4		*Commodore *	1950s	December 23, 1961	*	Carlos P. Garcia
5		Castro, Simeon B.Commodore Simeon B. Castro	December 23, 1961	September 3, 1962	254 days	Carlos P. Garcia Diosdado Macapagal	[3]
6		Magluyan, Juan B.Commodore Juan B. Magluyan	September 3, 1962	June 1, 1964	1 year, 272 days	Diosdado Macapagal	[3]
7		Nuval, Santiago C.Commodore Santiago C. Nuval	June 1, 1964	September 2, 1965	1 year, 93 days	Diosdado Macapagal	[3]
8		Apolinario, Felix M.Commodore Felix M. Apolinario	September 2, 1965	June 15, 1966	286 days	Diosdado Macapagal Ferdinand Marcos	[3]
9		Alano, Heracleo J.Commodore Heracleo J. Alano	June 15, 1966	August 17, 1967	1 year, 63 days	Ferdinand Marcos	[3]
10		Viado, Pastor G.Commodore Pastor G. Viado	August 17, 1967	May 29, 1968	286 days	Ferdinand Marcos	[3]
11		Lomibao, Ismael C.Commodore Ismael C. Lomibao	May 29, 1968	April 2, 1970	1 year, 308 days	Ferdinand Marcos	[3]
12		Papa, Dioscoro E.Commodore Dioscoro E. Papa	April 2, 1970	January 15, 1972	1 year, 288 days	Ferdinand Marcos	[3]
13		Ruiz, Hilario M.Rear admiral Hilario M. Ruiz	January 15, 1972	March 28, 1976	4 years, 73 days	Ferdinand Marcos	[3]
14		Ogbinar, Ernesto R.Rear admiral Ernesto R. Ogbinar	March 28, 1976	August 3, 1980	4 years, 128 days	Ferdinand Marcos	[3]
15		Alejandro, Simeon M.Rear admiral Simeon M. Alejandro	August 3, 1980	December 9, 1985	5 years, 128 days	Ferdinand Marcos	[3]
16		Ochoco, Brillante CRear admiral Brillante C. Ochoco	December 9, 1985	February 26, 1986	79 days	Ferdinand Marcos Corazon Aquino	[3]
17		Martillano, Serapio C.Rear admiral Serapio C. Martillano	February 26, 1986	September 6, 1986	192 days	Corazon Aquino	[3]
18		Jardiniano, Tagumpay R.Rear admiral Tagumpay R. Jardiniano	September 6, 1986	March 29, 1988	1 year, 205 days	Corazon Aquino	[3]
19		Cunanan, Carlito Y.Rear admiral Carlito Y. Cunanan	March 29, 1988	March 9, 1990	1 year, 345 days	Corazon Aquino	[3]
20		Dumancas, Mariano J.Vice admiral Mariano J. Dumancas	March 9, 1990	August 2, 1993	3 years, 146 days	Corazon Aquino Fidel Ramos	[3]
21		Marcelo, Virgilio Q.Vice admiral Virgilio Q. Marcelo	August 2, 1993	September 21, 1994	1 year, 50 days	Fidel Ramos	[3]
22		Carranza, Pio P.Vice admiral Pio P. Carranza	September 21, 1994	November 1996	2 years	Fidel Ramos	[3]
23		Santos, Eduardo Mario R.Vice admiral Eduardo Mario R. Santos	November 1996	January 12, 1999	3 years	Fidel Ramos	[3]
24		Fernandez, Luisito F.Vice admiral Luisito F. Fernandez	January 12, 1999	November 23, 2000	1 year, 316 days	Fidel Ramos Joseph Estrada
25		Wong, Guillermo G.Vice admiral Guillermo G. Wong	November 23, 2000	March 1, 2001	98 days	Joseph Estrada Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
26		Hingco, Victorino S.Vice admiral Victorino S. Hingco	March 1, 2001	March 6, 2003	2 years, 5 days	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo	[4]
27		De Leon, Ernesto H.Vice admiral Ernesto H. De Leon	March 6, 2003	December 5, 2005	2 years, 274 days	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo	[5]
28		Mayuga, Mateo M.Vice admiral Mateo M. Mayuga	December 5, 2005	December 9, 2006	1 year, 4 days	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
29		Calunsag, Rogelio I.Vice admiral Rogelio I. Calunsag	December 9, 2006	August 2, 2008	1 year, 237 days	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
30		Golez, Ferdinand S.Vice admiral Ferdinand S. Golez	August 2, 2008	May 15, 2010	1 year, 286 days	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo	[6][7]
31		Cortez, Dannilo M.Rear admiral Danilo M. Cortez	May 15, 2010	January 4, 2011	234 days	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Benigno Aquino III	[8]
32		Pama, Alexander P.Vice admiral Alexander P. Pama	January 4, 2011	December 21, 2012	1 year, 352 days	Benigno Aquino III	[9]
33		Alano, Jose Luis M.Vice admiral Jose Luis M. Alano	December 21, 2012	April 30, 2014	1 year, 130 days	Benigno Aquino III
34		Millan, Jesus C.Vice admiral Jesus C. Millan	April 30, 2014	July 10, 2015	1 year, 71 days	Benigno Aquino III	[10][11]
35		Taccad, Caesar C.Vice admiral Caesar C. Taccad	July 10, 2015	November 12, 2016	1 year, 125 days	Benigno Aquino III Rodrigo Duterte	[12][13]
36		Mercado, Ronald Joseph S.Vice admiral Ronald Joseph S. Mercado	November 12, 2016	December 19, 2017	1 year, 37 days	Rodrigo Duterte	[14][15]
37		Empedrad, Robert A.Vice admiral Robert A. Empedrad	December 19, 2017	February 3, 2020	2 years, 46 days	Rodrigo Duterte	[16][17]
38		Bacordo, Giovanni Carlo J.Vice admiral Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo	February 3, 2020	June 8, 2021	1 year, 125 days	Rodrigo Duterte	[18][19]
39		Bordado, Adeluis S.Vice admiral Adeluis S. Bordado	June 8, 2021	September 8, 2022	1 year, 92 days	Rodrigo Duterte Bongbong Marcos	[20][21]
–		Valencia, Caesar BernardRear admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia Acting	September 8, 2022	November 24, 2022	77 days	Bongbong Marcos	[22]
40		Adaci Jr., ToribioVice admiral Toribio Adaci Jr.	November 24, 2022	November 15, 2024	1 year, 357 days	Bongbong Marcos	[23]
41		Ezpeleta, Jose Ma Ambrosio Q.Vice Admiral Jose Ma. Ambrosio Q. Ezpeleta	November 15, 2024	Incumbent	220 days	Bongbong Marcos	[24]