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

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.
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.