Carlito Galvez Jr., the recently appointed secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND), urged the agency's staff members to support President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s appeal for unity and maintain the integrity of the "One Defense" team.
During Tuesday's transition briefing held at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Galvez emphasized the significance of employee morale in the DND and professionalism in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to maintain the trust and confidence of the Filipino people.
Galvez received a formal report outlining the department's intentions and the 10-point agenda put forth by Jose Faustino Jr., the departing officer-in-charge (OIC), during the briefing.
He also spoke with members of the Executive Committee and spoke with senior officials and bureau heads.
Before attending the transition briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, the new DND director also had a meeting with Faustino.
Galvez was informed by Faustino about the department's many successes and his suggestions for ensuring agency continuity.
On Wednesday, Galvez and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino will preside over a New Year's call and command conference for the DND and AFP.
After accepting Faustino's resignation as OIC, Marcos announced Galvez's appointment as the new DND director on Monday.
Following Faustino's resignation as OIC, DND spokeswoman Arsenio Andolong stated on Tuesday that "seven to nine" agency officers had submitted their polite resignations.
Despite a leadership shift at the agency, he yet asserted that this is the standard operating procedure.
