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| The Honorable
ANGELO REYES |
| Secretary |
| Department of
National Defense |
Angelo Tomas Reyes had barely a weekend to enjoy rest after his
retirement as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff when he was sworn into
office on 19 March 2001 as Secretary of National Defense.
Secretary Reyes took over the Department of National Defense's top post
with the country still afresh with the drama of People Power II. He himself played a key
role in history when he led the armed forces on 19 January 2001 in withdrawing support
from the then president, thus paving the way for a smooth constitutional turnover.
Born in San Miguel, Manila on 17 March 1945, Sec. Reyes graduated No. 7
in his class at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1966. He had his baptism of fire
as a combat officer in the Army's elite Special Forces.
Sec. Reyes's military education was a mix of specialized and
service-required courses that prepared him well for bigger responsibilities. He took
courses on Combined Strategic intelligence in Washington, D.C. and International Defense
Management in Monterey, California. He likewise attended a course in counter-subversion.
He actually graduated No. 1 when he took the Command and General Staff Course in 1993.
His adeptness in combat is rivaled only by his administrative
proficiency as proven in his various stints in positions of confidence, most notably as
Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, J2; Commanding General, 5th Infantry Division;
Commander, Southern Command; and Commanding General, Philippine Army. For a time he was
also military assistant to then Prime Minister Cesar E.A. Virata and at various times,
manager and vice president of the AFP Retirement Service and Benefits System.
Not content to rest on his laurels as a military man, Sec. Reyes's
civilian education is no less exemplary. He was valedictorian of Class 1960 of Cubao High
School. He has a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University in Cambridge as
well as a Masters in Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).
For his various achievements as a military officer, Sec. Reyes was
awarded a host of awards among them the Military Outstanding Achievement Medal, seven
Distinguished Service Stars, Military Merit Medal, Kagitingan Badge, Gawad sa Kaunlaran
Award, and the Cavalier Award as the PMA's Outstanding Alumnus for year 2001. The AIM
awarded him in 1981 the Triple "A" as one of its Outstanding Alumnus. Most
importantly, in 17 March 2001 he was awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor.
Sec. Reyes met his wife Tessie in a ship cruise in Bohol during his
cadet days. They are blessed with five sons. |
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