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Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Philippines' Marcos picks ex-military chief and COVID tsar as defence minister

FILE PHOTO: President of the Philippines Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. attends a news conference after the European Union (EU) and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) commemorative summit in Brussels, Belgium December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has chosen a former military chief who led the country's fight against the coronavirus as his new defense minister, his office said on Monday.

Carlito Galvez, 60, headed the Philippines' COVID-19 task force and as a regional army commander was in 2017 credited with overseeing the defeat of militants loyal to Islamic State, who took over and held a southern town for five months in 2017.

He replaces Jose Faustino, whose resignation as acting defence chief was announced by the president's office, without providing a reason.

FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte looks on during the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) change of command ceremony with incoming AFP Chief Carlito Galvez Jr and outgoing Chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines April 18, 2018. REUTERS/Dondi Tawatao/File Photo

Galvez, who served as armed forces chief in 2018, will be responsible for protecting the Philippines maritime territory and its exclusive economic zone, amid tension with China over the prolonged presence in the South China Sea of fishing boats believed to be manned by militia.

The defence ministry has been pushing to modernise the military and upgrade its outdated air and sea assets, in an effort to boost its ability to protect its vast maritime borders and islands it holds close to manmade facilities built on reefs and militarised by China.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Martin Petty)

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