Lorenzana wants 1 general per 1,000 military personnel ratio in AFP

Saying there are “too many generals” in the force, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday proposed a one star-rank official per 1,000 military personnel ratio in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

During the Senate national defense committee hearing on bills prescribing fixed terms for the Chief-of-Staff and other key officers of the AFP and reforming the pension system of military and uniformed personnel, Lorenzana underscored the need to set the percentage of generals at .1% of the total number of military personnel.

“As it stands today, by virtue of passed legislation, the percentage is .125 and in fact we have already exceeded that percentage because as of today, we have 190 generals in the Armed Forces of the Philippines when it should have been only 170 as per the percentage,” he said.

“Our strength is 143,000, that means we should only have 143 generals in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. I believe, personally, that we have too many generals in the Armed Forces,” he added.

He told the Senate panel that the AFP should maintain the ratio of general per troop at 1:1,000.

“That is actually maliit ‘yun dapat 1 is to 1,500 but for our purpose, .1 percent will already do,” he said.

Lorenzana said maintaining this ratio will be “healthier for the organization.”

Senator Richard Gordon has filed Senate Bill 1785 as he said the personnel of the AFP should have longer terms in office to foster continuity of policies and implement meaningful long-term plans for the institution.

The Senate defense panel also tackled other measures that seek to raise the compulsory retirement age for military and uniformed personnel as senators previously pointed out that this will ease the government’s expenses on their retirement benefits.

Albay Representative Joey Salceda has also warned of a looming crisis in the pension system of the MUP unless reforms are undertaken by the government.—AOL, GMA News