MANILA – Malacañang on Tuesday said resigned Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr. knew of the change of leadership in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil made this remark in response to Faustino’s statement that he only learned about the swearing-in of AFP chief Gen. Andres Centino in Malacañang “from news and social media reports.”
“According to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, former DND OIC Jose Faustino Jr. knew of the developments with regard to the appointment of Gen. Andres Centino, who is the only 4-star general in the AFP,” Garafil said in a press statement.
She said President as the Commander-in-Chief has “the sole prerogative to appoint the AFP chief of staff.”
Marcos reappointed Centino, as AFP chief of staff on Jan. 6. He previously served as AFP chief of staff from Nov. 12, 2021 to Aug. 8, 2022.
Centino will be retiring from the service in February.
He named Lt. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro as AFP chief of staff in August last year, replacing Centino.
Marcos also named Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr. as DND Secretary, replacing Faustino.
More appointments
Meanwhile, more appointments under the Marcos administration were revealed by the PCO.
In a statement, Garafil announced the appointments of Antonio Paolo Serrano Lim as Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Senior Deputy Executive Secretary (OSDES) and Peter Anthony Joseph Felarca Felix as Assistant Secretary of the OSDES.
The OSDES is under the Office of the President.
Other appointments are:
-- Manuel Lahoz Argel Jr. as Acting Member, Representing the Employers’ Group of the Social Security Commission, Social Security System
-- Lolibeth Ramit-Medrano as Commissioner of the Philippine Competition Commission
-- Michael Osmeña De Jesus as Acting President and Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP)
-- Emmeline Calderon David as Acting Member of the Board of Directors, DBP
-- Jaime Zita Paz as Acting Member of the Board of Directors, DBP
-- Maria Lourdes Laurel Avanceña Arcenas as Acting Member of the Board of Directors, DBP (PNA)
