Carlito Galvez Jr.


Carlito Guancing Galvez Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general serving as the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process since 2018 in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte. Since March 2020, he has also been serving as the Chief Implementer of the Philippines' Declared National Policy Against COVID-19. He previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from April to December 2018.
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Sandiwa class of 1985, he is known for his leadership of the AFP Western Mindanao Command during the Battle of Marawi and is a recipient of the United States Eisenhower Fellowships in 2006 and worked on the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2015 as co-Chairman on the Government of the Philippines Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities. In 1989, then a lieutenant, he participated in a failed coup attempt against President Corazon Aquino. Galvez and his coup co-conspirators were detained before being granted amnesty in 1996 by Aquino's successor, President Fidel Ramos.
On December 12, 2018, Galvez was appointed as Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process after Jesus Dureza resigned amid a corruption scandal in the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. He is a staunch advocate of the peace process with the Moro Front, and has been well received by many Bangsamoro stakeholders.

Education

A member of the PMA Sandiwa class of 1985, he was also trained in airborne, intelligence, and special operations, particularly in the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment. He received his Masters in Project Management in the University of New South Wales, Australia, and took the Executive Education program in Harvard University, in Massachusetts. He also has a specialty on Humanitarian Assistance, Strategic Management, and Peace-building Negotiations.
He also attended theAsian Institute of Management Center for Bridging Leadership, the Infantry Officer Advance Course in Fort Benning, Georgia, the Military Operation Research Symposium in Singapore, the Crisis Management Course in Hawaii, the Counter-terrorism Conference in the National Defense University, in Washington, D.C., the Rules of Engagement in Sanremo, Italy and the AFP Command and Staff College Class 47, where he served as Class President and Valedictorian

Military career

He spent most of his career in Mindanao and commanded various units and commands in the Philippine Army and the AFP, including the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, where his unit was named the "best scout ranger battalion" in 2 years and the Task Group Panther Bravo of the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment.
He also served as commander of the 104th Brigade, became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Organization & Training, J3, and commanded the 6th Infantry Division
He also led units during the Zamboanga Siege and the Battle of Marawi, where he served as commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command. During his stint in the Western Mindanao Command, he also led numerous combat and neutralization operations against communists and Daesh-inspired groups, including Ben Salina Sapilin, a relative of Isnilon Hapilon. He was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on April 18, 2018 to December 11, 2018, where he was succeeded by his classmate, Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr..

Awards

Galvez is married to Marissa M. Pascua, an international flight purser of Philippine Airlines; they have a daughter, Mary Frances Therese.