The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is waiting for the release of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11709 before naming the possible replacements of two senior military officials who are up for retirement soon.
Lt. Gen. Erickson Gloria, AFP Vice Chief of Staff, and Vice Adm. Adeluis Bordado, Philippine Navy (PN) Flag Officer in Command, will both retire on September 9 but their possible successors are yet to be named by the AFP’s Board of Generals (BOG).
“Negative pa. Wala pa actually because hindi pa final ‘yung IRR (It’s still negative. We have none yet because the IRR is still not final),” said Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, AFP Chief of Staff, when asked if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already designated news officials for the AFP’s second highest post and the Navy’s top post.
Bacarro explained that the IRR of the RA 11709 is needed since it will be used by the BOG as a basis in creating the list of the possible successors of Gloria and Bordado.
The list will then be submitted by the BOG to Marcos for his consideration.
“Kasi ‘yong dalawang ‘yon na position, key positions ‘yon. Ginagawa pa ang IRR and once magawa ang IRR, magdedeliberate kami based on the IRR (Those two are key positions. The IRR is still being drafted and once it is finished, we will deliberate based on the IRR),” Bacarro said.
“Baka mamaya magdeliberate ang BOG tapos paglabas ng IRR, hindi pasok doon ang nirecommend namin. Ang magiging basis namin ay ang IRR (The BOG might deliberate but when the IRR comes out, our recommendations are not within its parameters. The IRR will be our basis),” he added.
Enacted last April 13 by former president Rodrigo Duterte, RA 11709 prescribes fixed terms for key officers of the AFP to “promote further professionalization and meritocracy” in the organization.
A fixed three-year term is set for senior officers of the AFP such as the Chief of Staff; Vice Chief of Staff; Deputy Chief of Staff; Major Service Commanders of the Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Navy (PN), and Philippine Air Force (PAF); Commanders of Unified Command; and Inspector General. A four-year term is also set for the Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
The new law also mandates the retirement age of 56 or after 30 years of satisfactory active duty for Second Lieutenant to Colonel/Captain; 59 years old or maximum tenure-in-grade for Brigadier General/Commodore to Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral; 60 years old or after 20 years of satisfactory active duty for commissioned officers and appointees in the Corps of Professors; and 56 years old or 30 years of satisfactory active duty for enlisted personnel.