Voltaire Gazmin
Encyclopedia
Voltaire Tuvera Gazmin is the 35th secretary of the Philippines’ Department of National Defense
, officially assumed office on July 1, 2010 after President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III
issuing his appointment on June 30, 2010.
Gazmin stepped out of nearly six years of retirement from public office after last serving in government as the Philippines’ Ambassador to Cambodia
from 2002 to 2004.
For nearly 32 years, he was a career military officer in the Philippines’ Army, retiring as a Lieutenant General and 40th commander of the Philippines’ Army
until 2000.
Secretary Gazmin first gained national prominence in 1986 as the loyal and disciplinarian Commander of the Presidential Security Group
(PSG), who defiantly defended the government of President Corazon C. Aquino (mother of incumbent President Benigno Aquino III
) from seven coup attempts during her six-year term.
The secretary was honored multiple times in his military career for his skills in intelligence gathering and effectively commanding troops in some of the most difficult operations and for a long-term vision in administrative matters. His disciplinary demeanor has earned him the respect of his peers and junior officers and staff as a military officer and as a civilian.
, in the province of Tarlac
, 95 kilometers north of the Philippines’ capital Manila on October 22, 1944. He was born to Brig. Gen. Segundo L. Gazmin, Sr., PA and Petra T. Gazmin. His father also had a distinguished career in the Philippine Army, a survivor of the Bataan Death March
during the Second World War and later joining the Philippine Constabulary.
Academic brilliance and leadership qualities was evident during Gazmin’s young years as an elementary and high student at the University of the Philippines.
Gazmin spent his first two years in college at the University of the Philippines
by taking up a course in Chemistry until he later decided to bid for a slot at the Philippine Military Academy
.
He was successfully admitted into the academy at the start of the school year in 1964 and graduating on March 24, 1968, choosing to serve in the Philippine Army.
He would spend two years at the University of the Philippines taking up Bachelor of Science in Chemistry before being admitted to the Philippine Military Academy in 1964.
After graduating from the Philippine Military Academy in 1968, Gazmin would take up several officer’s training courses in the Army. He would take the Command and General Staff Course at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1985. Gazmin earned a cum laude degree after completing his master's degree in Public Administration from the Manuel L. Quezon University
in 1990.
, Nueva Ecija
province.
He also served as intelligence officer for various units of the Army and also distinguished himself during the brief insurgency war in Mindanao
.
Gazmin rose through the ranks to command, attaining the distinction of commanding three Battalions – the 45th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry division in 1979, the 26th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry division in 1980, the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion, First Scout Ranger Regiment, all based in Mindanao.
after nearly six years of distinguished service as Commander of the Presidential Security Group. He would later get appointed as Defense and Armed Forces attaché at the Philippines’ Embassy in Washington, D.C.
After his tour overseas, he would serve as Brigade Commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry division based in Isabela, Basilan
province. In 1996, Regimental Commander, Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) Special Operation Command, Commander, Special Operations Command (SOCOM) – commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade – 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division.
On September 1998, Gazmin was appointed Commander of the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) – the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) and later the Special Operations Command of the Philippine Army in 1997, and the Southern Luzon Command in 1998.
upon the appointment of President Joseph Estrada
on July 13, 1999 and would retire as a Lieutenant General on his 56th birthday on October 22, 2000, the mandatory age of retirement for officers in the Philippines’ military.
As an Army commander, he would also receive the following awards; nine Luzon
Anti-Dissidence campaign medals & ribbons, seven Visayas
Anti-Dissidence campaign medals & ribbons, eight Anti-Dissidence campaign medals & ribbons, one Presidential citation badge, two Philippine Army command plaque in 1997 & 1998, one American Legion Citation of Appreciation, one AFP parachutist badge and countless number of Letter of Commendations.
In 1984, the PMA Alumni Association, Inc. awarded Gazmin the Cavalier Award for Outstanding Achievements in Combat.
.
Gazmin and his able & specially chosen soldiers successfully thwarted seven attempts by renegade soldiers planning to overthrow the Aquino government and establish a military junta
.
The presidential palace was in constant high alert against countless reports of attempts to seize the presidential palace. The bloodiest and the very last attempt to unseat Mrs. Aquino occurred in December 1989, resulting in a near fatal shooting of presidential son, Benigno Aquino III
. His stint as head of the presidential security detail would be distinguished as one of the most serious security arrangements ever for a sitting President of the Philippines.
Members of the media covering Malacañang would often complain of the strict security measures imposed by Gazmin, later earning him the moniker “Tiger” from President Aquino.
when peace talks stalled.
Gazmin’s leadership would also result in the institutionalization of several initiatives in the way the Army conducted its affairs. He would also put emphasis in the welfare of the injured soldiers, and active-duty officers, especially those in fronts of engagements.
He would be recognized for his strict disciplined leadership but would earn respect for being fatherly over his men and women soldiers.
He would be called to serve again in government on May 1, 2002 as an Ambassador to the Philippine embassy in Cambodia until June 30, 2004. Gazmin would retire anew and spend much of his time at his small farm.
, serving as principal sponsor. Both Gazmin and Aquino were born and raised in the Province of Tarlac
.
In 1972, when Martial Law
was declared by President Ferdinand Marcos, Senator Aquino and several other political leaders opposed to Marcos were arrested and imprisoned. Aquino and Senator Jose Diokno were secretly transferred from Fort Bonifacio
in the capital to Fort Ramon Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija
.
Aquino would continue his seven years of imprisonment in Laur, coincidentally having Gazmin as jailer of the detention facility. Gazmin at the time was District Commander of the 1st Military Service Detachment, Military Service Unit of the Army.
Adhering to his oath as a professional soldier, and following conditions set under the Martial Law rule, Gazmin discreetly watched over the status and welfare of Senator Aquino. He would extend courtesies to Aquino’s spouse, then a simple housewife, Corazon Aquino, when she visited her husband.
During the time of Aquino’s 40 day hunger strike, Gazmin would secretly bring milk to the detention cell and oversee the daily medical check-up on the Senator’s condition.
Marcos granted Senator Aquino permission to travel to the United States for a much needed heart operation on May 8, 1980. Aquino would return to the Philippines on August 21, 1983, only to be assassinated at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport
.
When Marcos called for a snap election in December 1985 and a widowed Corazon Aquino announced her intention to run under a united opposition against him, Gazmin was still on assignment in Mindanao when People Power Revolution on February 25, 1986 overthrew the Marcos dictatorship and installed Aquino as the 11th President of the Philippines
.
President Aquino called on Gazmin to head her security entourage and command the newly organized Presidential Security Group (PSG).
Then-Lt. Colonel Gazmin, as commander of the PSG helped defend Mrs. Aquino's government from at least seven coup de etats, ending in December of 1989
, marked as the most bloodiest attempt to overthrow the democratic government of Aquino.
Gazmin kept close ties to Mrs. Aquino and the rest of the family members while he returned to the Philippine Army and even after he disappeared from public view when he completed his tour of duty as Ambassador to Cambodia in 2004.
On August 1, 2009, the day Mrs. Aquino passed away from a year and a half battle against colon cancer, Gazmin and several senior military officials who served as her presidential security detail paid their last respects to their former Commander-in-Chief. Gazmin served as one of the pall bearers of the casket of Mrs. Aquino.
When Aquino’s only son, then-Senator Benigno Aquino III started his campaign for the Presidency in early 2010, Gazmin was one of the security consultants for the campaign sorties.
Gazmin’s long standing integrity in service, professionalism and his distinguished loyalty to the family resulted in his temporary departure from retirement, to be called again to public service as Secretary of National Defense
when Aquino assumed office on June 30, 2010.
.
Gazmin started his term as Defense secretary with a commitment towards transparency and expediting processes without cutting corners. His designation as Defense secretary was confirmed by the 24-member Commission on Appointments on February 23, 2011.
At the on-set of his term of office, Gazmin pledged support for the Aquino government’s initiative to resume peace talks with the communist insurgents and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
He would implement President Aquino’s directives to appoint and install new commanders in the various military positions including a complete over haul of the senior officers of the Armed Forces including the post of Chief-of-Staff. The directive would result in controversies against the Aquino government of removing officials appointed by former President Gloria Arroyo to favor a different batch of officers from the Philippine Military Academy.
Senior defense officials and from the Armed Forces of the Philippines
announced that they will visit the disputed Kalayaan Group of islands to check possible improvements of the facilities.
Department of National Defense (Philippines)
The Department of National Defense is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for guarding against external and internal threats to peace and security in the country...
, officially assumed office on July 1, 2010 after President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III , also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th and current President of the Philippines since June 2010....
issuing his appointment on June 30, 2010.
Gazmin stepped out of nearly six years of retirement from public office after last serving in government as the Philippines’ Ambassador to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
from 2002 to 2004.
For nearly 32 years, he was a career military officer in the Philippines’ Army, retiring as a Lieutenant General and 40th commander of the Philippines’ Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
until 2000.
Secretary Gazmin first gained national prominence in 1986 as the loyal and disciplinarian Commander of the Presidential Security Group
Presidential Security Group
- External links :*...
(PSG), who defiantly defended the government of President Corazon C. Aquino (mother of incumbent President Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III , also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th and current President of the Philippines since June 2010....
) from seven coup attempts during her six-year term.
The secretary was honored multiple times in his military career for his skills in intelligence gathering and effectively commanding troops in some of the most difficult operations and for a long-term vision in administrative matters. His disciplinary demeanor has earned him the respect of his peers and junior officers and staff as a military officer and as a civilian.
Early life and profile
Gazmin was born in the town of MoncadaMoncada, Tarlac
Moncada is a 1st class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 54,547 people in 10,144 households.-Barangays:Moncada is politically subdivided into 37 barangays.* Ablang-Sapang...
, in the province of Tarlac
Tarlac
Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Luzon Island. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west...
, 95 kilometers north of the Philippines’ capital Manila on October 22, 1944. He was born to Brig. Gen. Segundo L. Gazmin, Sr., PA and Petra T. Gazmin. His father also had a distinguished career in the Philippine Army, a survivor of the Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners.The march was characterized by...
during the Second World War and later joining the Philippine Constabulary.
Academic brilliance and leadership qualities was evident during Gazmin’s young years as an elementary and high student at the University of the Philippines.
Gazmin spent his first two years in college at the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
by taking up a course in Chemistry until he later decided to bid for a slot at the Philippine Military Academy
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy or PMA, is the Philippine military school for the Armed Forces of the Philippines . PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 . PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province...
.
He was successfully admitted into the academy at the start of the school year in 1964 and graduating on March 24, 1968, choosing to serve in the Philippine Army.
Educational background
Gazmin started with his primary education at St. Paul College in 1949. He would later pursue his elementary education the University of the Philippines Integrated School in 1954 and his secondary education at the University of the Philippines High School in 1958.He would spend two years at the University of the Philippines taking up Bachelor of Science in Chemistry before being admitted to the Philippine Military Academy in 1964.
After graduating from the Philippine Military Academy in 1968, Gazmin would take up several officer’s training courses in the Army. He would take the Command and General Staff Course at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1985. Gazmin earned a cum laude degree after completing his master's degree in Public Administration from the Manuel L. Quezon University
Manuel L. Quezon University
The Manuel L. Quezon University is a private university in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines. It is a member of the Colleges and Universities Sports Association . It offers academic programs at the pre-school, elementary, high school, tertiary, and graduate levels. It is named for Philippine president...
in 1990.
Career in the Military
At a very early stage as a young lieutenant in the Philippine Army, Gazmin would distinguish himself in the service. He first became Team Leader of the Home Defense Forces Group (Airborne) at the Army Special Warfare Brigade based in Fort MagsaysayFort Magsaysay
Fort Ramon Magsaysay, also known as Fort Magsaysay or Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation , or Fort Mag, is the largest Military Reservation in the Philippines, and is one of the key training areas of the Philippine Army...
, Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
province.
He also served as intelligence officer for various units of the Army and also distinguished himself during the brief insurgency war in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
Gazmin rose through the ranks to command, attaining the distinction of commanding three Battalions – the 45th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry division in 1979, the 26th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry division in 1980, the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion, First Scout Ranger Regiment, all based in Mindanao.
As an Army General
Gazmin would earn his first star and hold the title Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
after nearly six years of distinguished service as Commander of the Presidential Security Group. He would later get appointed as Defense and Armed Forces attaché at the Philippines’ Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
After his tour overseas, he would serve as Brigade Commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry division based in Isabela, Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
province. In 1996, Regimental Commander, Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) Special Operation Command, Commander, Special Operations Command (SOCOM) – commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade – 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division.
On September 1998, Gazmin was appointed Commander of the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) – the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) and later the Special Operations Command of the Philippine Army in 1997, and the Southern Luzon Command in 1998.
Commanding General of the Philippine Army
He would assume the post as the 40th Commanding General of the Philippine ArmyPhilippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
upon the appointment of President Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
on July 13, 1999 and would retire as a Lieutenant General on his 56th birthday on October 22, 2000, the mandatory age of retirement for officers in the Philippines’ military.
Military awards & commendations
Gazmin was awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor, three Distinguished Conduct Star, three Distinguished Service Star, one Gold cross medal, one Bronze Cross medal, eleven Military Merit medals, one Military Commendation medal, four Long Service medals, four Combat Commander’s Kagitingan badges, seven Anti-Dissidence campaign medals & ribbons.As an Army commander, he would also receive the following awards; nine Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
Anti-Dissidence campaign medals & ribbons, seven Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
Anti-Dissidence campaign medals & ribbons, eight Anti-Dissidence campaign medals & ribbons, one Presidential citation badge, two Philippine Army command plaque in 1997 & 1998, one American Legion Citation of Appreciation, one AFP parachutist badge and countless number of Letter of Commendations.
In 1984, the PMA Alumni Association, Inc. awarded Gazmin the Cavalier Award for Outstanding Achievements in Combat.
Securing the Presidency and Democracy
Then-Lieutenant Colonel Voltaire Gazmin was ordered by President Corazon Aquino to lead a newly created Presidential Security Group on March 8, 1986, replacing the notorious Presidential Security Command under deposed President Ferdinand MarcosFerdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
.
Gazmin and his able & specially chosen soldiers successfully thwarted seven attempts by renegade soldiers planning to overthrow the Aquino government and establish a military junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
.
The presidential palace was in constant high alert against countless reports of attempts to seize the presidential palace. The bloodiest and the very last attempt to unseat Mrs. Aquino occurred in December 1989, resulting in a near fatal shooting of presidential son, Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III , also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th and current President of the Philippines since June 2010....
. His stint as head of the presidential security detail would be distinguished as one of the most serious security arrangements ever for a sitting President of the Philippines.
Members of the media covering Malacañang would often complain of the strict security measures imposed by Gazmin, later earning him the moniker “Tiger” from President Aquino.
Army leadership
For fifteen months, Gazmin would lead the Army in some of the most dangerous campaigns initiated by Estrada against the Moro Islamic Liberation FrontMoro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
when peace talks stalled.
Gazmin’s leadership would also result in the institutionalization of several initiatives in the way the Army conducted its affairs. He would also put emphasis in the welfare of the injured soldiers, and active-duty officers, especially those in fronts of engagements.
He would be recognized for his strict disciplined leadership but would earn respect for being fatherly over his men and women soldiers.
Life as a private citizen
Voltaire Gazmin quietly retired from nearly 32 years of active military service. He was finally able to focus his attention on his family and started doting over his grand children.He would be called to serve again in government on May 1, 2002 as an Ambassador to the Philippine embassy in Cambodia until June 30, 2004. Gazmin would retire anew and spend much of his time at his small farm.
Relationship with the Aquino family
On December 21, 1969, a then-young lieutenant Gazmin married his long-time fiancée Rhodora Hernandez with a young Senator named Benigno Aquino, Jr.Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was a Filipino Senator and a former Governor of Tarlac. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition to the Marcos regime in the years leading to the imposition of martial law in the Philippines...
, serving as principal sponsor. Both Gazmin and Aquino were born and raised in the Province of Tarlac
Tarlac
Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Luzon Island. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west...
.
In 1972, when Martial Law
Martial Law in the Philippines
Martial law in the Philippines refers to the period of Philippine history where Philippine Presidents declare a proclamation to control unpacified places under the rule of Military, it is usually given when threatened by popular protests, or to crack down on the opposition...
was declared by President Ferdinand Marcos, Senator Aquino and several other political leaders opposed to Marcos were arrested and imprisoned. Aquino and Senator Jose Diokno were secretly transferred from Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio is a highly urbanized district in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The district is named after the main Philippine Army camp in Metro Manila, Fort Andres Bonifacio, which in turn was named after the famous Philippine revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio...
in the capital to Fort Ramon Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
.
Aquino would continue his seven years of imprisonment in Laur, coincidentally having Gazmin as jailer of the detention facility. Gazmin at the time was District Commander of the 1st Military Service Detachment, Military Service Unit of the Army.
Adhering to his oath as a professional soldier, and following conditions set under the Martial Law rule, Gazmin discreetly watched over the status and welfare of Senator Aquino. He would extend courtesies to Aquino’s spouse, then a simple housewife, Corazon Aquino, when she visited her husband.
During the time of Aquino’s 40 day hunger strike, Gazmin would secretly bring milk to the detention cell and oversee the daily medical check-up on the Senator’s condition.
Marcos granted Senator Aquino permission to travel to the United States for a much needed heart operation on May 8, 1980. Aquino would return to the Philippines on August 21, 1983, only to be assassinated at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
.
When Marcos called for a snap election in December 1985 and a widowed Corazon Aquino announced her intention to run under a united opposition against him, Gazmin was still on assignment in Mindanao when People Power Revolution on February 25, 1986 overthrew the Marcos dictatorship and installed Aquino as the 11th President of the Philippines
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
.
President Aquino called on Gazmin to head her security entourage and command the newly organized Presidential Security Group (PSG).
Then-Lt. Colonel Gazmin, as commander of the PSG helped defend Mrs. Aquino's government from at least seven coup de etats, ending in December of 1989
1989 Philippine coup attempt
The most serious coup d'etat against the government of Philippine President Corazon Aquino was staged beginning December 1, 1989 by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines belonging to the Reform the Armed Forces Movement and soldiers loyal to former President Ferdinand Marcos. Metro Manila...
, marked as the most bloodiest attempt to overthrow the democratic government of Aquino.
Gazmin kept close ties to Mrs. Aquino and the rest of the family members while he returned to the Philippine Army and even after he disappeared from public view when he completed his tour of duty as Ambassador to Cambodia in 2004.
On August 1, 2009, the day Mrs. Aquino passed away from a year and a half battle against colon cancer, Gazmin and several senior military officials who served as her presidential security detail paid their last respects to their former Commander-in-Chief. Gazmin served as one of the pall bearers of the casket of Mrs. Aquino.
When Aquino’s only son, then-Senator Benigno Aquino III started his campaign for the Presidency in early 2010, Gazmin was one of the security consultants for the campaign sorties.
Gazmin’s long standing integrity in service, professionalism and his distinguished loyalty to the family resulted in his temporary departure from retirement, to be called again to public service as Secretary of National Defense
Department of National Defense (Philippines)
The Department of National Defense is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for guarding against external and internal threats to peace and security in the country...
when Aquino assumed office on June 30, 2010.
Appointment as Defense Secretary
From a relatively peaceful life in the farm, Voltaire Gazmin returned to the public eye as the Defense secretary of President Benigno Aquino IIIBenigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III , also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th and current President of the Philippines since June 2010....
.
Gazmin started his term as Defense secretary with a commitment towards transparency and expediting processes without cutting corners. His designation as Defense secretary was confirmed by the 24-member Commission on Appointments on February 23, 2011.
At the on-set of his term of office, Gazmin pledged support for the Aquino government’s initiative to resume peace talks with the communist insurgents and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
He would implement President Aquino’s directives to appoint and install new commanders in the various military positions including a complete over haul of the senior officers of the Armed Forces including the post of Chief-of-Staff. The directive would result in controversies against the Aquino government of removing officials appointed by former President Gloria Arroyo to favor a different batch of officers from the Philippine Military Academy.
Senior defense officials and from the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
announced that they will visit the disputed Kalayaan Group of islands to check possible improvements of the facilities.