A leadership reshuffle in the national security sector has installed former interior secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new presidential adviser for peace, reconciliation, and unity, in a move aimed at sustaining the country’s peace process and strengthening governance in conflict-affected areas.
The appointment was made by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with Malacañang confirming Tuesday that Sarmiento will head the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).
He replaces Carlito Galvez Jr., who stepped down after what he described as “46 years of unbroken service to our nation.”
“This decision is borne of a personal necessity to attend to the health of my wife and to devote myself to my family, a commitment that is, perhaps, long overdue,” Galvez said, adding that he leaves government with confidence in his successor. “The Philippine comprehensive peace process is in capable hands… I am certain that under his leadership, our pursuit of a just and lasting peace will reach even greater heights,” he added.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President expressed gratitude to Galvez for his “steadfast leadership,” particularly in advancing peace agreements and sustaining gains in the Bangsamoro transition.
Sarmiento, who served as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government from 2015 to 2016, also brings experience as mayor of Calbayog City and representative of Samar. Galvez said his successor’s background in local governance and public service makes him well-suited for the role.
Castro said Sarmiento’s appointment marks “a progression of the country’s peace work,” especially as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao prepares for its first parliamentary elections.
“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.
The leadership change in the peace office follows a broader reshuffle in the national security sector, including the appointment of retired military chief Eduardo S.L. Oban Jr. as national security adviser, replacing Eduardo Año.
Galvez and Año, both former chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, had continued in senior security roles under the Marcos administration before stepping down. The Palace said the government remains committed to advancing a “just and lasting peace” and called on stakeholders to support the new peace leadership moving forward.