The National Security Council (NSC) welcomed on Saturday, March 11, the appointment of two retired military generals and a former spokesperson at the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as new executives of the agency.

Retired generals Benjamin Madrigal Jr. and Marlo Guloy were named as NSC Deputy Director General-Chief of Staff and Deputy Director General for Operations, respectively, while former DILG spokesperson Jonathan Malaya is the new NSC Assistant Director General.

“The National Security Council congratulates its newly appointed Deputy Director Generals, Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. (Ret.) and Brig. Gen. Marlo Guloy (Ret.); and Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya,” the NSC said in a post on its official Facebook page.

Madrigal and Guloy had been appointed by the Malacanang to the NSC last Feb. 23, while Malaya’s appointment was received last March 7.

“Generals Madrigal and Guloy were both exemplary leaders of the Philippine Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. I can attest to their firm devotion and service to the country. I am pleased that their leadership, professionalism, and competence will be of use once again to the nation through the National Security Council,” said Ano, who is also a retired military general.

Like Ano, Madrigal served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) when he was still in the military. 

Ano was an upperclassman of Madrigal when they were still at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). Ano came from PMA Class of 1983 while Madrigal is a product of PMA Class of 1985. 

After his retirement in 2019, Madrigal became the Administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

For his part, Guloy is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1990. He earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the Ateneo de Manila University. 

He is a former Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to the United States of America and a Non-Resident Attaché to Canada. From July 2019 to June 2020, he served as the Vice Dean of the Washington ASEAN Defense Attaché Association and eventually was Dean from July 2020 to January 2021. 

He also served as the Group Commander of the Philippine Army’s Intelligence and Security Group (ISG). Throughout his military career which spanned 32 years, Guloy earned four Distinguish Service Stars, Gold Cross Medal, Meritorious Achievement Medal, seven Silver Cross medals, and 25 bronze medals.

Meanwhile, Malaya (spokesperson) and Ano (secretary) both served at the DILG under the previous Duterte administration. 

“We welcome his appointment to the National Security Council. I worked closely with him in the DILG for five years. His 25-year experience in the public service as well as his proven dedication and commitment to the national interest will serve this agency and the country well,” he said in a statement.

According to the NSC, Malaya has served in nine government agencies in his more than two-decade long career in the public service. It said he held senior positions in some of the "most sensitive and critical" government agencies.

Aside from his stint at the DILG, the NSC said that Malaya also previously served as assistant secretary at the Office of the President, Department of Education, and Office of the Solicitor General. He also had stints at the Supreme Court, Senate, House of Representatives, and Pasay City Government.

He was also a senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP NCPAG) where he taught courses in public accountability, ethics in the public service, metropolitan and regional governance, and public policy.