Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO (FILE)
Malacañang on Tuesday defended President Rodrigo Duterte’s appointment of at least 59 former military and police officers to the Cabinet and government agencies.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella dismissed concerns about creeping militarization in the government bureaucracy under the Duterte administration.
Abella said the President appointed people from the military and the police because he wanted a “more disciplined, more efficient and less corrupt” government.
“The President has never made secret any of his intentions, which [include] a more industrious, more disciplined, more focused and less corrupt bureaucracy,” he said.
Mr. Duterte was scheduled to attend public events on Tuesday, including the Eid al-Fitr celebration in Malacañang.
Abella said the President vetted the appointees before giving them civilian posts in the government.
“I would say that these are the people that he has vetted. In a sense, it’s not whether they’re military or not,” he said.
“It’s just that these are the people within his scope of attention that, you know, that fulfill, that tick all the boxes that what he wants,” he added.
The appointees “are people who are efficient, people who are not corrupt, people who will do things according to what they have been commissioned to do,” said the Palace official.
An Inquirer report showed that Mr. Duterte had appointed at least 59 former military and police officials, including generals, admirals and colonels to his Cabinet and other agencies.
They were either from Mindanao or were assigned to Davao City where he served as mayor for 22 years.
Political analyst Ramon Casiple said the President’s appointment of retired military officials to his Cabinet was an astute move.
“He’s expecting that he can still have a good relationship with the military,” Casiple said.