(Photo courtesy of Secretary Delfin Lorenzana Facebook page) MANILA - Outgoing Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he is honored to have worked with President Rodrigo R. Duterte, whose leadership he described as "people-centered". "Thank you, PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) Sir! It's both an honor and a privilege to serve the nation under your exceptional and people-centered leadership," he said in his Facebook post on Thursday. In the same post, Lorenzana said he received an award from the Chief Executive for his vital role in the country's pandemic response. "In a simple ceremony last June 16, I received from President Duterte the Lakandula Award-Degree of Grand Cross for serving as Chairperson of the National Task Force against Covid 19 (NTF-Covid-19)," he added. Lorenzana became the country's 36th defense secretary last June 30, 2016 and brought to the DND his expertise in national defense and security,
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (File photo) MANILA - Outgoing Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has worked hard for the Philippines to attain a credible defense posture to protect its vast maritime territories. "The Department also steadily worked towards achieving a credible defense posture through priority infrastructure development in the Municipality of Kalayaan, construction of maritime domain awareness platforms, heightened deployment of AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) detachments in border islands, and procurement of game-changing assets, such as combat utility helicopters, missile frigates, close air-support aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, air defense systems, various force protection equipment, and weapon systems," he said in a statement Friday. Lorenzana also said the AFP also significantly stepped up its external defense operations to secure the country's strategic