FORMER Armed Forces chief Gen. (ret.) Lisandro Abadia died on Sunday at the age of 83, the military reported yesterday.
Abadia served as military chief for three years from April 1991 to April 1994 under the Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos administrations. He also also served as Army chief.
AFP spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala, citing information from Abadia’s classmates at the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1962, said the general died on Sunday night in his house at Bonifacio Heights in Taguig City.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines extends its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of General Lisandro Abadia,” he said.
Zagala said Abadia “paved the way for the professionalization of the military and the return of meritocracy in its promotion system” during his time as AFP chief.
“He also led the AFP Campaign Plan Lambat Bitag that significantly decreased the strength of the communist terrorist group,” he said.
Zagala said “appropriate military honors” will be held for Abadia.
Asked if the remains will be brought to the military’s general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Zagala said, “We’ll wait for what the family decides. It can be in (Camp) Aguinaldo. It can be in (Army headquarters) in Fort Bonifacio.”
