NSA Gonzales appointed acting defense chief
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/14/2009 11:18 AM
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MANILA-(UPDATED)-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has appointed National Security Adviser (NSA) Norberto Gonzales as Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro's replacement.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Gonzales will lead the Department of National Defense (DND) in a concurrent capacity.
Teodoro is expected to formally leave the post on Monday to start his presidential bid under the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party.
Anakpawis party-list representative Joel Maglunsod criticized Malacañang for appointing Gonzales to the defense department.
‘Hell on earth’
Maglunsod described Gonzales’ appointment as “hell on earth” and expects human rights violations to increase under his watch.
"Without any pretense, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo shamelessly placed Gonzales, her triggerman, in a better position to shoot at her critics and political foes," he said.
He added that the appointment was an insult to the findings and recommendations of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
“This decision by Arroyo deserves the broadest condemnation from all freedom-loving Filipinos. It's a direct attack to human rights and civil and political liberties,” said Maglunsod.
In a press statement, Maglunsod said that in 2006, UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston recommended the abolition of the Inter-Agency Legal Assistance Group (IALAG), formerly headed by Gonzales, “because it has been distorting the criminal justice system, as government agencies have been making use of it to abusively prosecute critics of the Arroyo government”.
The lawmaker said Anakpawis will question and protest Gonzales' appointment.
‘Champagne flight’
On Saturday, Teodoro performed his "champagne flight" from Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to Palawan province.
Wearing a pilot's uniform, Teodoro flew a C-130 from the military air base. He was scheduled to travel over Palawan, Zamboanga and Cebu provinces.
The outgoing defense chief was accompanied by top officials of the Philippine Air Force, led by its chief, Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena.
On Friday, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno announced that actor-politician Edu Manzano had accepted his offer to be Teodoro's running mate in 2010.
More to vacate posts
Meanwhile, more government appointees will be resigning from their posts to run for public office in next year’s elections.
According to Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, around 10 Cabinet secretaries and undersecretaries will vacate their posts, including presidential deputy spokesman Anthony Golez.
Reports said Golez will resign effective November 20 to run for the lone congressional seat of Bacolod City.
Remonde said the Palace has already identified replacements for the resigning officials, but declined to name them. -- With report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
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