National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana defended on Wednesday President Rodrigo Duterte's preference to appoint former military and police generals to juicy positions in government.

Lorenzana, also a retired military general, made the statement following the allegation of Cristina Palabay, secretary general of militant human rights group Karapatan, that Duterte has been promoting "military mindset" for appointing retired military and police personnel in his administration.

"If we, former military men, can do the job faster and better as the President says, what’s wrong with that?" he said.

"We are also Filipinos who are willing and eager to serve," he added.

Palabay said Duterte's action was "tantamount to enabling a de facto martial law situation in the country."

"It means the government promotes the militarist mindset and approach of an institution that has been so notorious in violating human rights and people's rights, a mindset and approach that has resulted to the killings of and rights violations against the Filipino people," Palabay said in a television interview.

Aside from Lorenzana, the other retired military and police officials whom Duterte appointed in various government posts are Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Bureau of Corrections Director General Nicanor Faeldon, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairman Eduardo del Rosario, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino, Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr., and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Isidro Lapeña, among others. Robina Asido/DMS