MANILA (Reuters) -Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has appointed Gilberto Teodoro as defence minister, the presidential palace said in a statement on Monday.

Teodoro is a former lawmaker in the lower chamber of congress and also served as defence minister under former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. His reappointment comes at a time of increasing tensions in the South China Sea.

Teodoro replaces Carlito Galvez, a former military chief who has held the defence portfolio in an acting capacity since January.

Marcos also appointed Teodoro Herbosa, a medical advisor to the government's COVID-19 task force, as his first health minister.