On July 1, the newly passed Republic Act No. 11709 will take effect which officially sets a fixed term for the Chief of Staff and other top officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and replaces the current system where generals retire upon reaching the age of 56 years old.
The law, signed by President Duterte on April 13, provides a three-year tour of duty to the AFP chief, vice chief of staff; deputy chief of staff; major service commanders of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, and Philippine Air Force; unified command commanders, and inspector general.
It is seen to "enhance the professionalization" of the AFP as it will strengthen the merit system in the appointment of officials, and allow a longer period for generals to implement programs that will improve the military.
But Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted Tuesday, June 28, that there were concerns among military officials whose career progression will be affected by the new law.
He said that the law will affect the current class of colonels and brigadier generals who are positioning themselves to be the next senior officers in the AFP.
“The class is there. Mga senior na sila pero hindi pa naman three-star or whatever, hanggang class colonel or brigadier general. Tatamaan sila (They are senior but not really three-star or whatever, up until the class of colonel or brigadier general. They will be the ones affected),” Lorenzana said.
“Under the current system, tinitignan nila kung sino ang nakaposition na malapit na magretire, alam nila kasi may age eh. ‘Ah ito malapit na magretire, hintayin natin.’ Eh ngayon wala na ‘yun... ‘Yun ang reklamo na naririnig natin (Under the current system, they are monitoring who among those in position are nearing retirement, and they know it because of the age limit. ‘Oh this one is going to retire soon, let’s wait for him.’ Now, it’s gone... That’s the complaint that we are hearing),” the retired Army general added.
With the new law, the AFP is expected to realize its ideal ratio of producing one general for every 1,000 troops. Currently, the AFP has a strength of 160,000 personnel which means it should only have 160 generals. The AFP has 196 generals.
Revolving door
Moreover, the Defense chief said that the turnover of leadership in the major service units of AFP “is really fast.” This quick change in leadership, which affects the continuity of the programs in AFP, is called the “revolving door,” and the new term limit law seeks to address this issue.
The swift turnover of leadership is seen to contribute to the production of "many" generals as it is a requirement for an officer to be a star-ranked officer to qualify for top-level military posts.
Among these positions include the Commanding Generals of the Philippine Army (CGPA) and Philippine Air Force (CGPAF), and Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy (FOIC, PN). The change in leadership in any of these major service units triggers a movement of officials, mostly colonels and one-star or two-star generals, in other positions beneath the heirarchy.
“Ang bilis ng turnover ng leaders. Now, ang tingin kasi ng civilian looking into the AFP, ‘yung Chief of Staff lang ang mabilis magpalit. No, it’s not. Pati ‘yung Commanding Generals ng Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, tsaka ‘yung FOIC ng Navy mabilis din sila (The turnover of leaders is really fast. Now, a civilian looking into the AFP might think that only the Chief of Staff is being changed quickly. No, it’s not. Even the Commanding Generals of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and the FOIC of the Navy are affected),” he said.
The current system produced 11 AFP Chiefs of Staff (four-star generals) under the six-year term of President Duterte, the most among all the presidents, according to Lorenzana.
The shortest term for a Chief of Staff under the Duterte administration is three months, held by retired general Jose Faustino Jr., who served from July 31 to Nov. 12, 2021. Now, he will replace Lorenzana as the DND officer-in-charge under the incoming administration.
"We are not in the business of producing more generals. We are in the business of accomplishing our mission," Lorenzana said.