Eduardo Manahan Año (; born October 26, 1961) is a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

public official and retired

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

of the

Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) ( Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the ...

who served as

Secretary of the Interior and Local Government The secretary of the interior and local government (Filipino: ''Kalihim ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal'') is the member of the Cabinet in charge of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The current secretary is Benjamin Abalos J ...

in the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

of President

Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...

from 2018 to 2022. He previously served as the

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest-ranking military officer (except for the President of the Philippines, who holds the position of Commander-in-Chief equivalent to a five-star general) and the head ...

from 2016 to 2017, and was the

Commanding General of the Philippine Army The Commanding General of the Philippine Army (CGPA) is the overall commander and senior general of the Philippine Army, the ground warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is normally held by a three-star rank of Lieutenant Gener ...

from 2015 to 2016. At the onset of the

COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines The COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines has resulted in, as of , reported cases, resulting in reported deaths, the fifth-highest in Southeast Asia, behind Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The first case in the Philippines was iden ...

, Año, along with the rest of the Philippine government's Cabinet Secretaries, became part of the

Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is a task force organized by the executive of the government of the Philippines to respond to affairs concerning emerging infectious diseases in the countr ...

, a task force formed to advise the President on the strategies which would effectively manage the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Life and career

Military career

Eduardo Manahan Año was born in

San Mateo, Rizal San Mateo, officially the Municipality of San Mateo ( tgl, Bayan ng San Mateo), is a 1st class municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popul ...

on October 26, 1961. He graduated elementary as valedictorian. He entered the

Philippine Military Academy The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...

and became a member of the PMA ''Matikas'' class of 1983, where he graduated as ''Cum Laude''. He is also a graduate of the Scout Ranger Course and took courses in the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, and in the Israel Counter Terrorism Center in 2002. He finished on the top of his class in the International Officer Intelligence Course at

Fort Huachuca Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation, established on 3 March 1877 as Camp Huachuca. The garrison is now under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is in Cochise County in southeast Arizona, appr ...

in 1993, by earning a 100 percent grade rating in the course. Año held various military positions primarily in the Military Intelligence Positions, before being appointed in infantry positions, such as the Commander of the Intelligence and Security Group of the Philippine Army, the Chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Commander of the

10th Infantry (Agila) Division The 10th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, also called the Agila Division, is one of the Philippine Army's infantry units in Mindanao. History Pursuant to HPA General Orders No. 355 dated 9 August 2006, the 10th Infantry "Agila" Division, PA w ...

, In the years of his military service, he led the capture of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon of the

Communist Party of the Philippines The Communist Party of the Philippines ( fil, Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas) is a far-left, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. It is desi ...

in 2014, as well as the death of a

New People's Army The New People's Army ( fil, Bagong Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside. It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aimi ...

Commander, Leonardo Pitao, known as "Kumander Prago" in his term as commander of the 10th Infantry Division. Año also served as the 57th

from July 14, 2015, to December 7, 2016, after he succeeded General Hernando Iriberri, where he continued his predecessor's approach in modernizing the Army while further enhancing the Army's intelligence capabilities, and strengthening the country's alliances with other countries such as the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...

member states. Año was eventually named the 48th

after serving his term as Army chief for 1 year and 5 months, from December 7, 2016, to October 26, 2017. He received the Philippine Military Academy Cavalier Award in 1996 as an outstanding PMA Alumnus in the field of Army Operations. He is also a recipient of the

Philippine Legion of Honor The Philippine Legion of Honor ( fil, Lehiyong Pandangal ng Pilipinas; es, Legion de Honor Filipino) was established by President Manuel Roxas, through Philippine Army Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterne ...

(Degree of Chief Commander) and the Panglima Gagah Angkatan Tentera (PGAT) by the

King of Malaysia The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...

Battle of Marawi The siege of Marawi ( fil, Pagkubkob sa Marawi), also known as the Marawi crisis (), and the Battle of Marawi (), was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on May 23, 2017, between Philippine government security ...

During his term as the Chief of Staff of the AFP, he initiated and oversaw overall military operations against the Maute and

Abu Sayyaf Abu Sayyaf (; ar, جماعة أبو سياف; ', ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is based i ...

terrorist groups during the 5-month long

Battle of Marawi The siege of Marawi ( fil, Pagkubkob sa Marawi), also known as the Marawi crisis (), and the Battle of Marawi (), was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on May 23, 2017, between Philippine government security ...

and launched an offensive operation to retake

Marawi Marawi, officially the Islamic City of Marawi (Maranao: ''Inged a Marawi''; fil, Islamikong Lungsod ng Marawi), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a po ...

City and secure the city's outskirts to prevent any terrorist reinforcements entering the city, while encircling the city from all directions. Afterwards, he was appointed Martial Law Administrator in Mindanao during the declaration of

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

under

Proclamation No. 216 Proclamation No. 216 was the 2017 proclamation of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao amid clashes between government forces and Maute group terrorists in Marawi, issued by Philipp ...

. As Año's term as Chief of Staff was schedule to end within October 26, 2017, he spent his last weeks in office finalizing the AFP's final offensive within Marawi City and killing the terrorist group's two key commanders,

Isnilon Hapilon Isnilon Totoni Hapilon (March 10, 1968 – October 16, 2017), also known by the ''nom de guerre'' Abu Abdullah al-Filipini, was a Moro Filipino Islamist militant affiliated with ISIS. He was formerly leader of Abu Sayyaf Group, before its bat ...

and

Omar Maute Omarkhayam Romato Maute (June 12, 1980 – October 16, 2017) was a Moro militant who co-founded, along with his brother Abdullah Maute, a ''Dawlah Islamiyah'' (Islamic state) group in Mindanao, Philippines, commonly known as the Maute group afte ...

on October 16, 2017. 1 week later, on October 23, 2017, Año, along with Defense Secretary

Delfin Lorenzana Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana, OLH, KGOR (born October 28, 1948) is a retired Philippine Army general who served as Secretary of National Defense in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022. He served in the Philippine Army from ...

announced the end of all military operations within Marawi City. Año formally retired from military three days after the declaration of the conclusion of the Marawi Siege and was replaced by then-commander of the

AFP Eastern Mindanao Command The Eastern Mindanao Command (abbrv. as EASTMINCOM) is the Armed Forces of the Philippines' unified command in charge of the Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga regions. It is responsible for the defense of these areas against external aggresion, as ...

, Lieutenant General

Rey Leonardo Guerrero Rey Leonardo Borja Guerrero is a retired general of the Philippine Army serving as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs under the Duterte administration since 2018. He is a member of the PMA "Maharlika" Class of 1984. Previously, he was the ...

Secretary of the Interior and Local Government

President

designated Año as officer-in-charge of the

Department of the Interior and Local Government The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...

in January 2018. Año could not be given the secretary post immediately because Republic Act 6975 prevents a retired or resigned military officer from being appointed as a secretary within one year from the date of their retirement or resignation. He formally took oath as

on November 6, 2018. As the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Año ordered local chief executives to spearhead the fight against COVID-19 in their own areas of jurisdictions. He also exacted accountability from LGU and barangay officials who violate the policies, guidelines, and protocols issued by the IATF-EID. Año ordered the shift in the government's counter-insurgency drive, involving governors, mayors, and village chiefs to ensure good local governance and shared accountability with the private sector, civil society organizations, and the citizenry to address the issues which cause rifts and misunderstandings between government and the people.

Awards

Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation The Philippine Presidential Unit citation BadgeThe AFP Adjutant General, ''Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 65. is a unit decoration of the Republic of the Philippines. It has been awarded to certain units of the United States mil ...

Martial Law Unit Citation * PHL People Power I Unit Citation

People Power I Unit Citation * PHL People Power II Unit Citation

People Power II Unit Citation * PHL Legion of Honor - Chief Commander BAR

- Degree of Chief Commander *

Panglima Gagah Angkatan Tentera (Malaysia)

Panglima Gagah Angkatan Tentera (PGAT) * PHL Distinguished Service Star BAR

Distinguished Service Star The Distinguished Service Star is the third highest military award of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded for eminently meritorious and valuable service rendered while holding a position of great responsibility. Description of the ...

Gold Cross Medals * Silver Cross (Philippines) Ribbon

Silver Cross Medal * PHL Bronze Cross

Bronze Cross Medal The Bronze Cross MedalThe AFP Adjutant General, ''AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 29. is a single grade military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines which is awarded for "heroism involving risk of life" under con ...

for intelligence operations * PHL Military Merit Medal

36 Military Merit Medals * PHL Military Commendation

Military Commendation Medal The Military Commendation Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is presented for exemplary execution of military duty. Description The medal is a three-pointed star, made of bronze color ...

Silver Wing Medal This Silver Wing Medal is a military decoration awarded by Armed Forces of the Philippines to Philippine and allied military personnel. The Silver Wing Medal is awarded in only one class, and may be awarded by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces ...

Gawad sa Kaunlaran The Gawad sa Kaunlaran ( en, Award in Development) is awarded by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Area Command, and Major Service Commanders to Philippine citizens. It is the second highest distinction presented by the A ...

Sagisag ng Ulirang Kawal The Sagisag ng Ulirang Kawal is a military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded to the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for conspicuous performance of non-military activities and community development pr ...

Military Civic Action Medal The Military Civic Action Medal is a military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded for meritorious achievement in the conduct of humanitarian civic actions in direct support military operations. Criteria The Military C ...

Parangal sa Kapanalig ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas * AFP Long Service Medal

Long Service Medal *

Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal & Ribbon * Luzon Anti-dissidence Campaign Medal

Luzon Anti Dissidence Campaign Medal *

Mindanao Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal * Jolo Campaign Medal

Jolo and Sulu Campaign Medal * Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Operations Ribbon

Disaster Relief & Rehabilitation Operation Ribbon * PA Special Forces Qualification Badge

Special Forces Qualification Badge * Combat Commander's (Kagitingan) Badge

Combat Commander's Badge (Philippines) The Combat Commander's Kagitingan (K) Badge is awarded by the Commanding General, PA to PA officers and enlisted personnel who have commanded combat and combat support units for at least one cumulative year; all other PA military personnel who hav ...

Scout Ranger Qualification Badge *

Philippine Army Command and General Staff Course Badge * PAF Gold Wings Badge * PMA Cavalier Award

Personal life

Eduardo Año is married to Jean Joselyn Maria R. Dioso and they have 4 children. On April 9, 2020, Año disclosed that he tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

and claimed that he was asymptomatic. He had himself tested on March 27 after learning that he came into close contact with at least four other government officials who tested positive for COVID-19, including

Felimon Santos Jr. Felimon Talusan Santos Jr. (born August 4, 1964) is a retired Filipino general who served as the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Prior to his appointment, he ser ...

and Jojo Garcia. He recovered on April 13, after a test that was performed on April 8 had a negative result. On August 16, Año announced that he tested positive again for COVID-19.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ano, Eduardo 1961 births Living people Secretaries of the Interior and Local Government of the Philippines Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs (Philippines) Philippine Army generals People of the Philippine Drug War Benigno Aquino III administration personnel Duterte administration cabinet members Philippine Military Academy alumni Recipients of the Philippine Legion of Honor Recipients of the Distinguished Service Star Recipients of the Bronze Cross Medal Recipients of the Military Merit Medal (Philippines) Recipients of the Military Commendation Medal Recipients of the Silver Wing Medal Recipients of the Gold Cross (Philippines) Recipients of the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation