By Brian Campued
Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr. has stepped from his post and will be replaced by former Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, Malacañang confirmed Tuesday.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro highlighted Galvez’s “years of dedicated service to the country’s peace agenda” as a retired soldier, former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and as a peace negotiator and adviser to the administrations of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte.
He also served as chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, vaccine czar, and officer-in-charge of the Department of National Defense.
“The President extends his deepest gratitude to [retired] Gen. Galvez for his steadfast leadership of OPAPRU (Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity), particularly in advancing the implementation of signed peace agreements and sustaining the gains of the Bangsamoro transition,” Malacañang said in a statement read by Castro.
Meanwhile, Castro underscored Sarmiento’s background in local government and public administration as the new presidential peace adviser, especially as the Bangsamoro region is gearing up for its first parliamentary elections.
“Secretary Sarmiento’s appointment marks a natural progression of the country’s peace work, with security and normalization milestones largely in place, the process now enters a phase that calls for civilian leadership centered on reconciliation, local governance, and socio-economic reintegration,” she said.
In a separate statement, Galvez thanked Marcos for “unwavering trust” in him and extending his tenure as the presidential peace adviser.
He likewise expressed “full confidence” in the future of OPAPRU, noting that the country’s comprehensive peace process is in capable hands under Sarmiento’s leadership.
“As a champion of good governance and a man of peace, I am certain that under his leadership, our pursuit of a just and lasting peace will reach even greater heights,” Galvez said.
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