DND wants law on fixed AFP tenure amended

DND.GOV.PH / Reuters

The Department of National Defense (DND) has proposed removing the three-year fixed term for some key positions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, part of the amendments being sought in a law signed earlier this year, to avoid a snag in promotions.

Under the suggested revision, the three-year fixed term would apply only to the AFP chief of staff, major service commanders, Philippine Military Academy (PMA) superintendent and sergeants major of the AFP and major service branches, acting Defense Secretary Jose Faustino Jr. said during deliberations on the proposed amendments to Republic Act No. 11709 at the House of Representatives on Monday.

“Providing a fixed term of all lieutenant generals or O-9 officers will unnecessary cause a bottleneck in the promotions of key positions, thus, we respectfully recommend limiting the key position with fixed term,” he said.

Under RA 11709, those appointed to key positions (AFP chief, commanding generals of the Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force and flag-officer-in-command of the Philippine Navy, vice chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, unified command commanders, and inspector general) would have a fixed term of three years, while the PMA superintendent would serve for four years.

Lawmakers led by House committee on national defense and security chair Rep. Raul Tupas visited unified area commands nationwide last week to hold consultative meetings on the law signed in April by then President Rodrigo Duterte, which took effect in July. INQ