Marcos certifies bill limiting AFP officers with fixed terms as urgent

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has certified as urgent the passage of the bill that limits the coverage of a three-year fixed term to four high-ranking military officials.

Certified as urgent was House Bill No. 6517, titled An Act Further Strengthening Professionalism and Promoting the Continuity of Policies and Modernization initiatives in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

He said this is to further enhance the policies and initiatives towards maintaining a responsive and professional AFP personnel.

Under the said bill, it will limit the fixed tour of duty of three consecutive years, unless sooner terminated by the President, to only the following:

• Armed Forces chief of staff
• Commanding general of the Philippine Army

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• Commanding general of the Air Force and
• Flag-officer-in-command of the Philippine Navy

Meanwhile, the commanding generals of the Army, Air Force, and the Navy chief would not be eligible for any position unless promoted to chief of staff.

The bill would exclude from the coverage of three three-year tenure the vice chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, unified command commanders, and inspector general.

However, it would allow “lateral movement” for these officers, provided that no officer shall be designated to a key position, except that of chief of staff, if he has less than one year of active service remaining prior to compulsory retirement.

Speaker Martin Romualdez is the principal author of the bill, together with Iloilo Representative Raul Tupas, who chairs the committee on national defense and security. — Richa Noriega/RSJ, GMA Integrated News