Senate panel report: Only 2-year fixed term for some top military posts

Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada. Senate PRIB file photo / Voltaire F. Domingo

MANILA , Philippines — Heeding the Department of National Defense’s (DND) proposal, the Senate committee on national defense has endorsed a measure  that would  shorten, among others, the tour of duty of key military officers from the current fixed term of three years to two years.

The shortened tour of duty of Major Service Commanders was contained in Senate Bill No. 1849 as disclosed by panel head Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada when he endorsed the measure for plenary approval on Tuesday.

According to Estrada, the  approved bill in the  committee would limit the tour  of duty to five key officers.

The Chief of Staff would  still be accorded a maximum tour of duty of three years, while  the Philippine Military Academy Superintendent  would keep a maximum tour of duty of four years.

“The tour of duty of Major Service Commanders, however, will be shortened from three (3) years to two (2) years,” Estrada said  in his sponsorship speech of the bill.

“We are still fostering the continuity of policies for the tenured key positions but at the same time affording the subsequent commissioned classes a fair and equitable opportunity to compete for promotions to these positions,” he explained.

All other key officers—Vice Chief of Staff, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Unified Command Commanders and The Inspector General—will now be allowed lateral movement provided that an appointment to a tenured key position will be covered by the one-year prohibition on promotions,  Estrada further said.

While the measure was being discussed in the committee level,  Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. raised the suggestion of  the defense the department that only the AFP Chief of Staff   should have a fixed three-year-term  while other key positions in the military  should be reduced to only two years.

The existing law, Republic Act No. 1170,  provides that eight AFP officials, including  the Chief of Staff, should have  a fixed three-year term.

The said  law, however, was said to have been the source of rumblings within the  military as this would delay the promotion of officers.

This prompted the House of Representatives to  pass a measure that would limit the  coverage the three-year term to only four  officers: The Chief of staff, commanding general of the Philippine Army, commanding general of the Philippine Air Force, and flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy.

The  measure approved by Estrada’s panel, meanwhile, seeks to amend five provisions  of the  law, which according to him  would “definitely address and put the so-called ‘grumblings’ to rest.”

“Foremost is for matters concerning our enlisted personnel be removed from the coverage of RA11709,” he said.

“We will revert to the previous system where the promotion, separation, and maximum allowable tenure of our enlisted personnel will be governed by the issuances of the Department of National Defense and the AFP. This will afford the DND and AFP flexibility in adjusting the policies concerning our enlisted personnel depending on their developing and expanding needs,” he explained.

The bill, he said,  also “reintroduces a one-year period of prohibition for promotions, which was effectively removed by the law. It will  also “reinstitute” the previous tenure-in-grades of Colonels/Commander and Brigadier Generals/Commodores.”

“Officers may only be eligible for promotion to the rank of Brigadier General/Commodore or higher if he/she has at least one (1) year remaining of active service before compulsory retirement. This will address a major issue in the implementation of RA11709 by preventing “photo finish” promotions of generals/flag officers despite having a few months or days left before retiring,” Estrada said.

JPV