The Philippines’ newly-elected president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has selected a retired general and former military chief to serve as the next defense minister, press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said on June 17.
Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Jose Faustino would serve as senior undersecretary and officer-in-charge of the National Defense Department in an interim arrangement, according to local reports.
Cruz-Angeles said that Faustino would assume the role of defense secretary on Nov. 13, based on a rule prohibiting military officers from taking up ministerial positions for a year after retirement.
“Faustino’s situation was similar to current Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano’s case, whom President Duterte designated as officer-in-charge but later assumed the secretary position once the appointment ban lapsed,” she said….