MANILA - Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Monday formally turned over his post to National Security Adviser and incoming defense chief Norberto Gonzales in formal rites at Camp Aguinaldo.

In his farewell speech before Department of National Defense staff, Teodoro thanked President Arroyo for choosing him to head the defense department in 2007 despite being untested in the field. "It was some of the best times of my life," he said of his two-year stint as DND chief.

Teodoro, who is running for president under the Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats ticket, said he is confident that the DND will be in safe and good hands under Gonzales. Gonzales was previously designated officer in charge of the DND before Teodoro's appointment in 2007.

"I am sure under the stewardship of Bert Gonzales, we will beat those adversities," Teodoro said, referring to national calamities and security threats faced by the country.

The outgoing defense chief also thanked the various defense undersecretaries who served with him for the past two years and three months.

Malacañang on Sunday defended from critics the appointment of Gonzales as acting national defense secretary.

Presidential spokesperson for economic affairs Gary Olivar was reported in a radio interview to have said Gonzales's track record will serve him well in the post.

Olivar dismissed claims that Gonzales is involved in human rights-related cases, adding that the national security chief's name does not appear in the 253 extra-judicial killings being handled by the Department of Justice.

Activist Anakpawis party-list Rep Joel Maglunsod had criticized Malacañang for appointing Gonzales to the defense department.

Maglunsod, in a statement Saturday, described Gonzales’s 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.