Philippine defence chief resigns in latest security shake-up amid military unrest speculation
- Jose Faustino Jnr gone soon after term of military chief of staff Bacarro cut short; military faces Muslim, communist insurgencies and disputed South China Sea
- Appointment of military chiefs is sensitive issue; military has history of failed coup attempts, corruption scandals and accusations of human rights violations
The acting Philippine defence chief has resigned, officials said on Monday, in the latest in a series of top-level changes in the country’s security establishment that has sparked speculation of renewed military unrest.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr accepted “with deep regret” the resignation of defence officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jnr and offered the top defence post to Carlito Galvez Jnr, another retired general who has been involved in peace talks with insurgent groups, presidential spokesperson Cheloy Garafil said.
Galvez has accepted the offer, Garafil said without providing other details, including why Faustino, a former military chief of staff, decided to resign.
Marcos on Saturday cut short the term of military chief of staff Lieutenant General Bartolome Bacarro, whom he had appointed five months ago, and replaced him with a retiring general without explaining the surprise move.
Faustino is a supporter of Bacarro and the two were classmates at the Philippine Military Academy. Bacarro received the highest military award for combat bravery as a young army officer and his three-year term was supposed to continue until August 2025.
The appointment of military chiefs is a sensitive issue. The military has a history of restiveness, failed coup attempts and corruption scandals, and has faced accusations of human rights violations. Efforts have been made for years to instil professionalism in the military and insulate it from the country’s traditionally chaotic and corruption-tainted politics.
