BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and VICTOR REYES
PRESIDENT Duterte has offered Father Nicanor Austriaco, a fellow of the OCTA Research group that monitors the COVID-19 situation in the country, the top post of the Department of Health.
The casual offer was made during Duterte’s “Talk to the People” address on Monday night after the Dominican priest reported about the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and how the country is faring against the pandemic.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who was also present during the address, said he would be happy to turn over the position to a fellow Thomasian. Duque is an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas while Austriaco is affiliated with UST.
“We would be happy, I would be happy to appoint you as the secretary of Health, if that is okay with you,” Duterte said in the address-meeting Monday night.
“I’ve been forcing him (Duque) to stay but he would be happy to give way to you, I’m sure,” he added.
“No, no po. Secretary Duque is doing a fine job,” said Austriaco who attended the meeting virtually.
A molecular biologist, Austriaco is in the United States working with a team on an oral and cheaper COVID-19 vaccine for Filipinos with team UST team.
Duterte said he is confident that Duque would gladly give up his post.
“He (Duque) vents a desire really to rest, you know, after all this ruckus against him… I’ve been forcing him to stay but he would be happy to give way to you, I’m sure,” he told Austriaco.
The President had thanked Austriaco for his contributions in the campaign against COVID-19.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Austriaco has been helping government in communicating with the Church about using it as vaccine sites. Galvez said 187 churches have been made vaccine sites.
Austriaco said he is a beneficiary of the “Balik Scientist” program and has been spending six months in the US and six months in the Philippines. He said he has laboratories in both countries.
NEW ARMY CHIEF
Duterte appointed 4th Infantry Division (ID) commander Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and Air Force vice commander Maj. Gen. Connor Anthony Canlas as new commanders of the Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force, respectively.
There was still no word as to when Brawner will assume his new post.
Canlas assumed the new post yesterday afternoon, upon retirement of his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes, during rites presided by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
Brawner will take the helm of the Army from Lt. Gen. Andres Centino who is now Armed Forces chief.
Brawner and Canlas are members of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1989.
A Special Forces officer, Brawner was the AFP deputy chief of staff for financial management before he assumed command of the Cagayan de Oro City-based 4th ID in July this year.
Brawner also served as commandant of cadets of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City, commander of the 103rd Brigade in Marawi City, Army spokesman, and AFP public affairs chief, among others.
The 4th ID’s accomplishments under Brawner include the killing of notorious New People’s Army leader Jorge Madlos, alias Ka Oris, during a firefight in Impasug-ong town in Bukidnon last October 30. One of Madlos’ men also died in the clash.
Canlas served as commander of the Air Defense Command based in Pampanga and the Tactical Operations Group X based in Cagayan de Oro City.
Duterte has also designated the military’s top operations officer as the new commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division which is addressing the communist insurgency and other armed groups in Eastern Visayas.
Maj. Gen. Edgardo de Leon took the helm of the 8th Infantry Division on Monday during rites presided by Centino at the 8th ID headquarters.
De Leon succeeded Brig. Gen. Wilbur Mamawag, who was named acting 8th commander in October in concurrent capacity as 8th ID deputy commander, following the retirement of then 8th ID commander Maj. Gen. Pio Diñoso III.
Before assuming the top 8th ID post, De Leon was AFP deputy chief of staff for operations, a post he assumed in May last year.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988, De Leon also previously served as AFP deputy chief of staff for civil military operations, commander of the Army’s 403rd Brigade, chief of staff of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, assistant chief of staff for operations of the 10th Infantry Division, and commander of the 73rd Infantry Battalion.
