Arroyo Orders 'Overhaul' of Defense Department: Report

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 02, 2003

Arroyo Orders 'Overhaul' of Defense Department: Report

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday ordered a "major overhaul" in the operations of the Department of National Defense (DND), an official was quoted by a local media report.

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Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday ordered a "major overhaul" in the operations of the Department of National Defense (DND), an official was quoted by a local media report.

Arroyo issued the directive at an executive committee meeting attended by top defense and military officials in Clark Airfield in the northern Philippines, the Philippine Daily Inquirer on-linenews quoted Defense undersecretary Feliciano Gacis as saying.

However, details of the "top-to-bottom" reforms were not disclosed in the report.

Gacis said Arroyo also announced that she would only stay as defense secretary in concurrent capacity for six weeks until a replacement for Former Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes has been made.

Gacis said, however, the shortlist of candidates for defense secretary was not discussed at the two-and-a-half-hour meeting.

On Monday, Arroyo vowed to strengthen the chain of command, andsaid she would continue the "institutional initiatives" started byReyes.

"We are ready to strengthen the chain of command from the President to the armed forces chief of staff down the line, with the DND on a sidebar as a policy observer keeping hands off from operational matters," Arroyo added.

With "reinforced policy control, sound management of resources and untrammeled command efficiency," Arroyo said she would "mop upendemic corruption" in the military.

Reyes resigned from his post Friday to give Arroyo a "free hand" in dealing with the problems of the country and to spare the military and his family from further attacks by his detractors. Arroyo accepted the resignation of Reyes and personally assumed the defense portfolio.

Reyes' resignation came a month after the July 27 mutiny by over 300 junior officers and soldiers who demanded Reyes and othertop government and military officials step down.

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