Senate to start hearings on AFP officers’ fixed terms

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on national defense and security will start tomorrow hearings into proposals to amend Republic Act 11709 or the law that fixed the terms of top officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to three years.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who chairs the committee, said the panel would closely scrutinize the bills before coming out with a report for plenary deliberations.

He said the proposed amendments to the law were filed last month, long before reports on alleged rumbling within the military came out due to supposed leadership shake-up.

“I would like to disabuse the mind of the public that this is being taken up to quell any destabilization plot or address supposed discord within the military. Having been certified as urgent by the President, the Senate is duty-bound to take up the measure for immediate consideration,” Estrada said.

Last Dec. 6, Estrada filed Senate Bill 1601 which seeks to amend RA 11709 or the law granting a three-year fixed term for the AFP chief of staff and other generals.

On the other hand, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri filed a similar measure on Dec. 7.

While the proposals have already been seen by AFP officers and enlisted personnel, Estrada said they have to hear or consult other concerned parties in ensuring the need to amend the law that took effect only last year.

“I was not a member of the Senate when this was passed. We will invite ranking officials to the committee hearing and hear their position or stand on the issue,” the senator said.

Zubiri earlier said the Senate was “hell-bent” on passing the bill amending the law, which reportedly has been the source of disgruntlement in the military as it prevented the promotion of junior officers.

He said the bill seeks to correct the law that basically contracts the coverage of the fixed terms handed to a few star-ranked officers.

“We’re looking at passing this (bill) first quarter of this year… I think the amendments will help in ensuring stability in our military establishments. Junior officers will no longer be resentful because only one position will be extended for three years, everyone else will have to go through the seniority process,” Zubiri told the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum partly in Filipino last week.

He said the original bill that emanated from the Senate in the immediately preceding 18th Congress, authored by then senator Panfilo Lacson, covered only the AFP chief of staff.

He was surprised that more generals were included in the list of those to be granted fixed terms during the bicameral conference committee deliberations — a mechanism to reconcile conflicting provisions of versions of a same bill from the Senate and the House of Representatives — before it was signed into law by then president Rodrigo Duterte last May.

The law included commanders of the Army, Air Force and the Navy, unified commands, vice chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and the inspector general.

“Our initial understanding then in the 18th Congress was this was only for the chief of staff… You have to remember, if we implement that, there will be so many colonels, even generals (who) cannot anymore assume positions. No promotions. So definitely there will be problems,” Zubiri said.