(POLITIKO) Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Wednesday welcomed the appointment of former Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. as head of the Department of National Defense (DND), saying it would quell the supposed “unrest” among senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“Galvez’s appointment, which came three days after the designation of Gen. Andres Centino as AFP chief of staff, will put to rest talks of unrest among the major service branches of the AFP,” Estrada said in a statement.
“Galvez, as a former AFP chief of staff and a bemedaled Army officer, is qualified in taking the reins of the department in charge of supervising the overall defense program of the country,” he said.
He said Galvez, who replaced resigned DND Secretary Jose Faustino Jr., had shown his worth when he was designated as National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
President Bongbong Marcos’ designation of Galvez would “somehow give a sense of stability insofar as the leadership in the DND and its attached agencies/organizations are concerned,” Estrada added.
“I am hoping that Galvez will eventually be nominated for confirmation before the Commission on Appointments to allow him to fully discharge his functions and responsibilities, not just in an acting capacity,” he said.