MANILA, Philippines--President Macapagal-Arroyo has tapped National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales to replace outgoing Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., Malacañang said Saturday.

Teodoro, who is stepping down to prepare for his presidential candidacy, will hand over the post to Gonzales on Monday at Camp Aguinaldo, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.

?He has served as acting defense secretary. He?s capable of doing that job. He knows national security and he knows defense matters,? Ermita said of Gonzales in a phone interview.

Gonzales will serve in an acting capacity until the end of Ms Arroyo?s term in June 2010. Malacañang is still studying whether or not he will retain his job as NSA in concurrent capacity or yield it to somebody else.

He was first designated interim defense secretary in July 2007 pending the assumption to the post by Teodoro the following month.
Gonzales will be overseeing the defense department at a crucial time as the country gears up for next year?s vote that will pick the successor to Ms Arroyo after nine years.

?Considering that he has been publicly advocating the establishment of a revolutionary transitional government, I wonder what his marching orders are from GMA,? former Secretary Teresita Deles said by text.

Gonzales had pushed for a transitional government composed of the executive branch, Congress and the judiciary, civil society, the Church and the Armed Forces, headed by Ms Arroyo to effect real reforms. Malacañang had distanced itself from this.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines welcomed Gonzales? appointment.

?I don?t think we need any major adjustment because we?ve worked with Secretary Gonzales before,? said Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, AFP spokesperson.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo said Gonzales? appointment showed that President Arroyo would step up her ?murderous policy? against her militant critics.

?Gonzales is linked with the policy, under Oplan Bantay Laya, of lumping legal mass organizations with the CPP-NPA and marking their leaders and members for extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances,? said Ocampo in a text message.

?It?s not a wise decision,? Sen. Panfilo Lacson said yesterday in an interview over radio station dwIZ, citing Gonzales? unexplained role in the US lobby firm Venable. With reports from Marlon Ramos, Gil Cabacungan and Michael Lim Ubac