Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. lauded the Senate Wednesday, Feb. 8, for addressing the concerns of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on the implementation of Republic Act No. 11709 or the law prescribing a fixed term for senior military officers.
Senate Bill No. 1849 seeks to amend five sections of RA 11709 namely Sections 2, 6, 10, 11, and 15.
Section 2 pertains to the tour of duty of the key officers; Section 6 refers to the compulsory retirement for military personnel; Section 10 calls for the forced attrition of officers; Section 11 refers to the forced attrition of enlisted personnel; and Section 15 describes the prescription for officer grade distribution.
The bill, which was passed last Tuesday, Feb. 7, was authored by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, chair of the committee on national defense and security, peace, unification and reconciliation; and co-authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. The House of Representatives also passed their own version of the bill, House Bill 6517, in December last year.
“The strong support of both Houses of Congress for amending certain provisions of RA 11709 will ensure a professional, dynamic, and responsive AFP that is very much capable of adapting to current times,” Galvez said.
Among the proposed revisions in the law is the limited coverage of the provision on fixed term duty to only five officers.
Under the measure, the AFP chief of staff will have a maximum term of three years; the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) superintendent will have a maximum term of four years; while the commanding generals of Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force as well as the flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy will serve for a two-year term.
The bill also recommended that the compulsory retirement age for one-star generals be at 57; for two-star generals at 58; and for three-star generals at 59. Previously, the mandatory retirement age for military officers is 56 years old.
The bill also reinstituted the one-year ban on promotion for the tenure-in-grades of colonels, commanders, brigadier generals, and commodores.
It also excluded the enlisted personnel from the coverage of RA 11709, and reverted to the promotion system and maximum allowable tenure for them under the guidance of the Department of National Defense (DND).
Finally, the bill sought to revert to the percentage on officer grade distribution or the authorized number of officers in the active force in each grade and in each major, technical or administrative service which will be based on the AFP Table of Organization.
The controversial legislation was blamed by Galvez for the reported rumblings within the military during the past months since it resulted to a delay in the promotion of mid-level and junior officers.
RA 11709, which was enacted in April 2022, seeks to “promote further professionalism and meritocracy” in the AFP and eliminate the revolving door policy by mandating a fixed term for senior officers of the AFP.
“This piece of legislation remains consistent with the spirit and intention of RA 11709 that is anchored on meritocracy and professionalization, while providing the organization with the necessary room for flexibility, ensuring stability, and improving the morale in our Armed Forces,” Estrada said during a speech at the Senate.