Arroyo takes over DND

President Arroyo took over as acting defense secretary yesterday and ordered officials to carry on with the reforms initiated by resigned defense chief Avelino Cruz Jr.

After conferring the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Grand Officer on the late Philippine STAR publisher and chairman Max V. Soliven at the St. Ignatius Cathedral at Camp Aguinaldo at around 9 a.m., Mrs. Arroyo proceeded to the Department of National Defense office where she held a closed-door meeting with members of the DND transition council, headed by Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina.

The council was formed following the resignation of seven undersecretaries and assistant secretaries.

The other members of the transition team are: Undersecretary for Policy Antonio Santos, presidential assistant for the military Capability Upgrade Program Ariston delos Reyes, Assistant Secretary for Plans and Programs Emmanuel Feliciano, Assistant Secretary for Administration Ruben Ciron, and Col. Emmanuel Bautista, senior military assistant to the defense secretary.

During the meeting the President reiterated that she only intends to serve as defense secretary for 60 days.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President ordered defense officials to implement the Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) program and at the same time enhance the efficiency of combat units to accomplish the mission of the Armed Forces.

"The President would push faster the counterinsurgency program as well as the acquisition of equipment to enhance the upgrade the Armed Forces of the Philippines," he said.

After meeting with the defense transition team, Arroyo presided over the meeting of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), which is chaired by the secretary of national defense.

The President was briefed on the casualties and damage caused by typhoon "Reming" and the government’s response to help the victims in Bicol and Southern Tagalog where over 200 people were killed and thousands were evacuated. The storm also cut off power supply in Bicol.

Mrs. Arroyo likened Reming to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and Louissiana in the United States in 2005.

Ermita also announced yesterday the appointment of Defense Undersecretary Ric Blancaflor from the Anti-Terrorism Task Force to the defense department.

"He is the first appointment and since Undersecretary Blancaflor had been from the department also, he is not really a stranger, he will not be new in the department so he will be working with the other undersecretaries," he said.

Carolina said the President told the transition council to carry on with reforms in the military that were initiated by Cruz, which were the result of a two-year strategic planning process.

He said the President would be running the department in the next two months until she appoints a new defense secretary.

Secretary Cruz tendered his irrevocable resignation a few weeks ago. He told The STAR that there were three Cabinet members who wanted him out of Malacañang due to his opposition to the people’s initiative to amend the Constitution.

Four undersecretaries and two assistant secretaries followed Cruz’s lead and tendered their irrevocable resignations effective November 30.

They were Undersecretaries Cecilio Lorenzo, Jose Santos, Rodel Cruz and Rafael Antonio Santos, and assistant secretaries Aida Araceli Roxas-River and Catherine Jennifer Gonzales.

Cruz, in his two-year stint as defense secretary, set in motion crucial military reforms, most of which were among the recommendations of a special commission formed after the July 27, 2003 Oakwood mutiny.

He urged the President to appoint a civilian to continue the reforms in the military

Cruz, however, emphasized that the selection of the defense chief is a presidential prerogative and he had not recommended anyone as his replacement.

Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., is one of the officials being considered to replace Cruz. National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Arturo Lomibao is also a contender.

Both Ebdane and Lomibao were former chiefs of the Philippine National Police. - Jaime Laude, James Mananghaya, Paolo Romero