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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Finally! AFP to review policies, procedures on recruitment, conferment of awards to reservists

Finally! AFP to review policies, procedures on recruitment, conferment of awards to reservists

Published Aug 20, 2026 12:19 pm
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) finally noticed, and is now doing something about the policies and procedures governing its Reserve Force following a social media backlash over a photo of a reservist who has more medals than the highest military official in the country.
In a statement, the AFP said it is also conducting an investigation to establish the facts and determine whether any irregularities or violations of existing policies and regulations have occurred.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is reviewing its policies and procedures on the recruitment, promotion, and conferment of awards to personnel of the Reserve Force,” the statement read.
“An investigation through the Philippine Air Force is likewise being undertaken to establish the facts and determine whether any irregularities or violations of existing policies and regulations have occurred,” it added.
Last week, social media was abuzz on how a reservist has more medals than the incumbent AFP Chief of Staff, in a photo posted after a confirmation before the Commission on Appointments— Gen. Antonio Nafarrete as AFP chief of staff, and a former solon as Brigadier General of the military’s Reserve Force.
The viral photo sparked complaints and concerns not only on social media but also on chat groups of retired and active uniformed personnel over the recruitment and promotion in the military’ reserve force.
Promotion is hard especially in the military and some soldiers called out the AFP over the recruitment and promotions of popular and influential personalities who did not even fire a single shot against an enemy, and were even incapable of doing 10 push-ups.
For some retired and active soldiers, every promotion and award must be earned in order to avoid various misconceptions in the entire process.
And this is what the AFP wants to ensure in the conduct of review into the incident, “The AFP remains committed to upholding the integrity, meritocracy, and credibility of its processes. Any verified irregularities shall be addressed in accordance with existing rules and regulations.”
Despite the ongoing review, the AFP said “it recognizes the valuable contributions of its reservists and will continue to ensure that the standards governing the Reserve Force are properly observed.”

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