Jose Faustino Jr.

Jose Calingasan Faustino Jr. (born November 12, 1965) is a retired Philippine Army general who previously served as Senior Undersecretary and officer-in-charge of the Department of National Defense.

He previously served as the 56th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from July to November 2021 and was controversially designated the Acting Commanding General of the Philippine Army from February to May 2021 during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.

Early life and education Faustino was born on November 12, 1965, in Itogon, Benguet, and grew up in Malolos, Bulacan. He is the son of retired Philippine Army colonel, Jose Faustino Sr. Faustino entered the Philippine Military Academy in 1983 and graduated as part of the Maringal Class of 1988.

After graduation, he undertook various military, leadership and staff courses both locally and abroad. He ranked 2nd of his class in the Scout Ranger Course and serves as a qualified member of the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment and the Special Forces. He also finished at the top of his class in the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Infantry Officer courses at the National Defense College of the Philippines. Faustino completed the Command and General Staff Course at the Republic of Korea Army College and the United Nations Integrated Mission Staff Officers Course in Canada.

Military career Faustino served in various special forces, infantry, intelligence, and staff positions. As lieutenant, he was assigned to the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment, and served as commander of the 7th Scout Ranger Company in 1992. He served as an intelligence and operations officer in the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Comptrollership of the Intelligence and Security Group, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence of 10th Infantry Division, the Deputy G2 of the Philippine Army, the Assistant Chief of Unified Command Staff for Intelligence of the National Capital Region Command, and the Assistant Chief of Staff for Education and Training of the Philippine Army.

Faustino also undertook various academic posts at his alma-mater, the Philippine Military Academy, where he was named as the Administration and Tactical Officer of the Headquarters Tactics Group, as the Head of Tactics Group, and as the Commandant of Cadets. He served as the Commandant of Scout Ranger Training School of Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan, and as the commander of the 11th Intelligence Service Unit, under the Intelligence and Security Group. Faustino assumed command of the 35th Infantry Battalion and then of the 501st Infantry Brigade.

Joint Task Force Mindanao After the retraction of his previous appointment, Faustino was named Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff on Peace and Development, but in June 2021, was named the inaugural commander of a newly formed working group, Joint Task Force Mindanao, intended to oversee the Western and Eastern Commands' military operations. He spearheaded the creation of the Mindanao Security and Stability Plan, boosting the military's peace efforts through former rebels assistance, livelihood, and regional development programs. Upon Faustino's promotion, no new commander has been named since and the joint task force was dissolved.

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Portrait of Lt. Gen. Faustino during his time as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines In July 2021, Faustino was appointed as the 56th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines by President Rodrigo Duterte, again succeeding General Cirilito Sobejana. As chief, he proposed the creation of the Center for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, which would aim to further assist the armed forces' study on extremism and terrorism, and craft measures to prevent their ideologies from spreading throughout the country and the region. His appointment and concurring promotion to the rank of general was approved by the Commission on Appointments in September 2021. Faustino retired from military service in November 2021 in compliance to the mandatory retirement at the age of 56.

Secretary of National Defense (2022–2023)

Appointment In June 2022, President Bongbong Marcos named Faustino Senior Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense. Republic Act No. 11709, Section 18 bans the appointment of a retired military officer as Secretary of National Defense within one year from the date of their retirement. The retired general is expected to assume the position of secretary in November 2022, pending confirmation from the Commission on Appointments. In the absence of a secretary, Senior Undersecretary Faustino is designated as officer-in-charge of the Department of National Defense.