Faustino steps down as Defense chief, Galvez to assume post
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:51 p.m.) — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has offered Carlito Galvez Jr. the cabinet post vacated by Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr.
According to a statement by Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil on Monday afternoon, Faustino has just resigned from his post.
"The President has offered the position of DND Secretary to Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. and he has accepted," Velicaria-Garafil said.
The reason behind Faustino's resignation has not yet been disclosed as of writing.
Faustino was appointed by Marcos Jr. in June last year as temporary senior undersecretary of the DND. The administration had to wait for the year-long ban on appointing retired military officers to lapse, since Faustino retired on November 12, 2020.
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The department's One Defense Team wished Faustino well in "the next chapter of his life," while welcoming Galvez as their new leader.
"With Sec. Galvez's years of experience as a military commander and as a civilian public servant, we are confident that he will be able to effectively lead the department as we fulfill our mandates to the nation," DND Spokesman Dir. Arsenio Andolong said in a press release following the announcement.
This comes just days after the Armed Forces of the Philippines had a Change of Command ceremony at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo for newly minted military chief Gen. Andres Centino.
Hours after the ceremony, a memorandum allegedly from the Philippine National Police, which the agency already disavowed, called on its units to be on full alert status "in view of the resignation of all [DND] personnel in Camp Aguinaldo" circulated online.
Both the PNP and the AFP were quick to disown the memo and the AFP has since assured the public that "everything is normal." — Kaycee Valmonte
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