Marcos swears in Galvez as Defense chief

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday officially administered the oath of office of Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. as Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND).

Photos of Galvez being sworn in by the Chief Executive in Malacañang were shared on his official Instagram account.

Galvez, who concurrently heads the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), took over from Jose Faustino Jr. less than a week ago after he stepped down from his post.

The appointment of Galvez as Defense chief was welcomed by several lawmakers who said his track record in the military, as well as his performance as peace adviser could easily earn him the nod of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA).

With Galvez at the helm of the DND, the supposed unrest within the agency, as well as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), are expected to die down. This, as he, himself a former military chief, had called on senior Defense officials to “stay in place”.

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As Defense secretary, Galvez said among his priorities would be the “modernization program of the AFP to address the “growing and significant challenges to the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty;” and “attain total victory” against communist insurgency.