More Cabinet appointees have been designated by President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. namely Juan Ponce Enrile as Presidential Legal Counsel, Menardo Guevarra as Solicitor General and retired AFP Chief Jose Faustino as OIC of the Department of National Defense.
President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed former Senate President and lawyer Juan Ponce Enrile, 98, as his presidential legal counsel; outgoing Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra as Solicitor General and retired Armed Force Chief of Staff, Jose Faustino Jr. as officer in charge (and senior undersecretary) of the Department of National Defense.
The appointees had all accepted their new positions, said incoming Press Secretary Rose Beatrix L. Cruz-Angeles.
Enrile, served and headed three portfolios in separate periods during the administration of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. — finance, justice, and later Minister of National Defense until 1986, when the Edsa revolt where he played a key role led to the ouster and exile of Marcos Sr and his family. He and Marcos Jr. have since reconciled.
“Enrile, a staunch supporter of Marcos Jr. and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio during the 2022 elections, reaffirmed his commitment to serve the country and ensure the success of the incoming Marcos administration,” Angeles said on Friday.
“Guevarra, who was chosen for his sterling performance as a lawyer for over 30 years, graduated magna cum laude majoring in Political Science from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1974,” Angeles said.
She said Guevarra already accepted the nomination as Solicitor-General-designate during his meeting with President-elect Marcos on Thursday.
Faustino would occupy the OIC-senior undersecretary post of DND until “he assumes as Secretary on Nov. 13, 2022, in compliance with the one-year ban on the appointment of retired military officers under Republic Act 6975,” Angeles said.
“Faustino and incoming National Security Adviser, Retired UP Prof. Clarita Carlos, met with President-elect Marcos on Thursday,” she added.
Faustino is a graduate of the “Maringal” Class of 1988 and was the former commander of the Joint Task Force Mindanao and was a commanding General of the Philippine Army.
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