By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After a press briefing announcement late Tuesday confirming Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.’s decision to step down from his post, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has officially appointed his successor in a ceremony at Malacañang Wednesday.
The President formally led the oath-taking of Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new chief of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU).
As the new peace adviser, he is expected to double down on the government’s peace initiatives and sustain various programs that foster unity and development in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities.
Secretary Sarmiento brings with him more than 3 decades of experience as a public servant. His political career began when he served as vice mayor of Calbayog City, Samar, from 1992-1995, and as mayor of the same locale for three consecutive terms from 2001-2010.
During his tenure as the city mayor, he also served as the secretary general of the League of Cities of the Philippines and the chairperson of the Regional Development Council in Eastern Visayas.
He also served as Samar’s 1st District Representative from 2010-2015, and briefly served as the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government from September 2015 to June 2016.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) was established in 1993 through Executive Order No. 125 to define the government’s framework and administrative structure for comprehensive peace efforts. It was further strengthened in 2001 through Executive Order No. 3.
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