Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada. Senate PRIB file photo / Voltaire F. Domingo
MANILA , Philippines 鈥� Heeding the Department of National Defense鈥檚 (DND) proposal, the Senate committee on national defense has endorsed a measure聽 that would聽 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 鈥淛inggoy鈥� Estrada when he endorsed the measure for plenary approval on Tuesday.
According to Estrada, the聽 approved bill in the聽 committee would limit the tour 聽of duty to five key officers.
The Chief of Staff would聽 still be accorded a maximum tour of duty of three years, while聽 the Philippine Military Academy Superintendent聽 would keep a maximum tour of duty of four years.
鈥淭he tour of duty of Major Service Commanders, however, will be shortened from three (3) years to two (2) years,鈥� Estrada said 聽in his sponsorship speech of the bill.
鈥淲e 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,鈥� he explained.
All other key officers鈥擵ice Chief of Staff, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Unified Command Commanders and The Inspector General鈥攚ill now be allowed lateral movement provided that an appointment to a tenured key position will be covered by the one-year prohibition on promotions,聽 Estrada further said.
While the measure was being discussed in the committee level,聽 Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.聽raised the suggestion of聽 the defense the department that only the AFP Chief of Staff 聽 should have a fixed three-year-term聽 while other key positions in the military聽 should be reduced to only two years.
The existing law, Republic Act No. 1170,聽 provides that eight AFP officials, including聽 the Chief of Staff, should have聽 a fixed three-year term.
The said聽 law, however, was said to have been the source of rumblings within the聽 military as this would delay the promotion of officers.
This prompted the House of Representatives to聽 pass a measure that would limit the聽 coverage the three-year term to only four聽 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聽 measure approved by Estrada鈥檚 panel, meanwhile, seeks to amend five provisions聽 of the聽 law, which according to him聽 would 鈥渄efinitely address and put the so-called 鈥榞rumblings鈥� to rest.鈥�
鈥淔oremost is for matters concerning our enlisted personnel be removed from the coverage of RA11709,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e 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,鈥� he explained.
The bill, he said,聽 also 鈥渞eintroduces a one-year period of prohibition for promotions, which was effectively removed by the law. It will聽 also 鈥渞einstitute鈥� the previous tenure-in-grades of Colonels/Commander and Brigadier Generals/Commodores.鈥�
鈥淥fficers 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 鈥減hoto finish鈥� promotions of generals/flag officers despite having a few months or days left before retiring,鈥� Estrada said.