Hermogenes Esperon

General Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr. is a retired general and the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the former Vice-Commander of Presidential Security Group. After retiring from the AFP, he was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process.

Political career
Esperon ran for a position as Congressman in the 6th District of Pangasinan in the past May 2010 elections but lost.

Professional experience
Esperon's professional experience includes:


 * Cabinet Secretary, Presidential Management Staff (PMS)
 * Cabinet Secretary, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP)
 * Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines
 * Commanding General, Philippine Army
 * Commanding General, Special Operations Command
 * Commanding General, 7ID, PA
 * Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, J3, AFP
 * Group Commander, PSG
 * Brigade Commander, 103 Inf Bde, 1ID, PA
 * Brigade Commander, 602 Inf Bde, 6ID, PA
 * TG Comdr, TG Thunder, TG Comet
 * Asst Chief of Staff, G3, PA
 * TF Comdr, TF APEC ‘96
 * Battalion Commander, 30IB, 4ID, PA

Education and training
Esperon's education and training include:


 * Philippine Military Academy Class 1974
 * Joint Service Command & Staff Course
 * Infantry Officer Advance Course
 * Infantry Officer Basic Course
 * Intel Officer Basic Course
 * Integrated Service Attache Course
 * Master's in Business Administration
 * Master's in Management

Awards and recognition
Esperon's awards include:


 * Order of Lakandula (Bayani)President of the Philippines
 * Presidential Award of the Yudha Dharma, Republic of Indonesia
 * Kings Award
 * Presidential Medal of Merit
 * PMA Cavalier Award (as outstanding alumnus of the Philippine Military Academy)
 * Eleven (11) Distinguished Service Star
 * Four (4) Philippine Legion of Honor
 * Two (2) Outstanding Achievement Award (OAM)
 * Four (4) Gold Cross Medals
 * Five (5) Bronze Cross Medals
 * Three (3) Command Plaque
 * Gawad sa Kaunlaran Award
 * Three Outstanding Service Awards
 * Plaque of Merit
 * Grand Military Awards conferred by the President of Indonesia
 * Grand Military Awards conferred by the King of Malaysia

Controversies
Irked by Partylist Representatives Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza's opposition to his bid to seek a congressional seat in the May polls, outgoing Presidential Management Staff Chief Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., demanded that the two lawmakers, who are also seeking seats in the Senate, to come clean about their links with the underground Left.

Esperon said he was "proud of his achievements as a former Armed Forces’ chief of staff, especially in the government's fight against the communist insurgency". 

As a four-star general and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s longest serving military top-brass (Chief of Staff, AFP), Esperon was accused of being involved in the alleged massive electoral fraud in the Philippine general election, 2004. He was called "Garci General" for his supposed role in the Hello Garci scandal. However, his involvement with the scandal has not been proven.