Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed support Saturday, May 22, to the proposed legislation that will amend the retirement age of officers, set the tenure-in-grade of all military personnel, and amend the percentage of general officers to the total strength of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Senate Bill 1785, filed by Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon, and its companion bill in the House of Representatives, House Bill No. 8056, filed by Iloilo 5th District Rep. Raul "Boboy" Tupaz, will raise the retirement age of officers to 60 and the Chief of Staff to 65 from the current 56. Meanwhile, the retirement age of enlisted personnel will remain at 56.
"The proposed law will streamline and stabilize the leadership, rank, and organizational structure of the AFP," Lorenzana said.
He added that the measure will "make the AFP a more efficient and effective organization."
Aside from raising the retirement age of military officials, the proposed law will also provide for a fixed tenure-in-grade for all ranks in the officer corps (Second Lieutenant to Colonel) and the enlisted corps and provide for a fixed tenure-in grade for general officers (Brigadier General to General).
It will also establish a cap on the number of general officers to a ratio of one general officer for every 1,000 uniformed personnel.
"The law will ensure that officers stay in their positions long enough to effectively implement AFP programs and projects," Lorenzana said.
The practice of "revolving door" policy in the appointment of Chief of Staff of the AFP has long been considered as "inimical to public interest" as it "hinders the continuity and stability in the military leadership," said Gordon back in September 2020 when he filed SB 1785.
The revolving door policy refers to a situation where a lot of people, military generals in the case of the AFP, do a particular job (such as Chief of Staff) for a particular company or organization for a short period of time and then leave.
Under the administration of President Duterte, there have been nine AFP Chiefs of Staff so far since 2016.
Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the current AFP Chief, will serve for a little over five months unless his tenure is extended by Duterte. He assumed post on Feb. 4, 2021 and will have his compulsory retirement on July 31, 2021 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.
Gordon believes that the revolving door policy "allows for political patronage and accommodation promotion that favors personalities over the security and defense of the nation."
"The current system appears to limit the President's choices to officers whose retirement draws near, which gives a perception that the selection is politically driven," he had said.
Meanwhile, in a Senate hearing earlier this week, Lorenzana told senators that he wants to reduce the number of star-rank officers in the military. He said he would like to lower the percentage of generals to the total number of troops from the current .125 percent to .1 percent.
He said that there are 190 generals in the 143,000-strong AFP at present, which is way over the prescribed limit of 170 generals only.
The law is also seen to address the issue on the ballooning pension fund needed for retired military personnel.