The Philippine Army (PA) has started training its Army students on Monday, Jan. 16, to address backlogs in capability development of its personnel and the “unintended impact” of Republic Act No. 11709 or the new law that sets a mandatory three-year term for senior military officers.
The PA Training and Doctrine Command launched the 2023 1st Training Cycle at Camp O’Donnel in Capas, Tarlac, according to PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad.
Trinidad said that the training cycle includes a total of 92 career and specialization courses, and caters to nearly 3,000 Army students who will undergo a range of courses that are needed for their professional advancement.
“The Philippine Army has been ramping up the implementation of courses to address the training backlog and the unintended impact of Republic Act 11709 which affects the attrition and promotion of Army personnel,” Trinidad said.
Among the unintended consequences of the law is the significant number of officers, particularly mid-level officers or those with ranks lieutenant colonel and colonel, who risk of being included in the forced attrition of personnel due to reduced tenure-in-grades or the maximum allowed length of time that an officer can hold a particular post before s/he is promoted.
Under RA 11709, forced attrition refers to the separation or retirement from military service of an officer or enlisted personnel who, after having been considered for promotion to the next higher rank, either completed the maximum tenure-in-grade “without being promoted” or one who failed to qualify “on account of his/her own fault, failure or negligence, or lack of individual merit.”
Since the new law sets a longer tour of duty for certain posts, some mid-level officers who are considered to be "next in line" in the hierarchy face a reduced tenure-in-grade, or the maximum allowed length of time that an officer can hold a particular post before s/he is promoted.
The law resulted to some officers airing concerns on their career advancement, particularly on their promotion and future deployments.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., who assumed post only last Jan. 9, had stressed that meritocracy or the designation of leaders based on merit will be observed in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under his watch.
He, however, noted that adjustments must be made in RA 11709 since it could result to the stagnation in the promotion system of military personnel and the demoralization of the troops.