Senate panel to hear House bill limiting AFP officers with fixed terms next week — Estrada

The Senate committee on national defense and security, peace, unification, and reconciliation will tackle next week the House bill limiting the coverage of the three-year fixed term to four high-ranking military officials, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said Tuesday.

This, as he disclosed that he was asked by the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office a week before Congress adjourned its session for the Christmas season to pass the bill in the upper chamber before the end of the year.

Estrada, chairman of the panel, said he also discussed the bill's passage with Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner Jr. and several other officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

"I have spoken to General Brawner and several key officials of the Armed Forces... Tinanong nila ako about this bill ang sabi ko 'You know the problem is you should have informed me months before because I never knew about this. This (law being amended by the bill) was passed when I was not in the Senate," he told reporters in a phone interview.

"Ngayon ang ginawa nitong PLLO [Undersecretary Bernardino Sayo] pumunta sa akin sa office one week before we went into Christmas break then he wanted me to pass it already. Ang sabi ko do not dictate upon me. Kung gusto ko mag-hearing, maghi-hearing ako. Kung ayaw ko, ayaw ko. Kasi hindi naman kakayanin e. Ba't siya pupunta sa akin one week before? Ngayon hindi ko problema 'yon," he added.

Estrada said the most he can do is file a counterpart  bill.

"Papa-hearing na ako next Tuesday. Next week...Isang hearing na lang 'yan," he added.

Although he will conduct a hearing on the House bill, Estrada said he is planning to adopt this in the Upper Chamber.

"I plan to just adopt it kasi the bill of the House, which has been passed, has already been vetted by the Armed Forces," he said.

Last December, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has certified House Bill 6517, which seeks to amend Republic Act 11709, as urgent.

Republic Act 11709 which grants three-year fixed term for key AFP officials, including the chief of staff, was signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte months before he stepped down from office.

Marcos said the bill will further enhance the policies and initiatives towards maintaining a responsive and professional AFP personnel.

The bill seeks to 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,
• 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-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.

In a separate interview, Senator JV Ejercito disclosed that some of their colleagues are already discussing the possibility of amending RA 11709.

"There are some of my colleagues that said, nag-uusap-usap kami sa Viber group na we have to amend and try to make the necessary adjustments para maging more acceptable itong law na ito," he said.

Ejercito said he believes that the reports of unrest within the AFP are "effects" of the first year of implementation of RA 11709.

"Kumbaga my personal opinion, baka mamaya, there are some that will be affected and who got used to the old system na talagang napo-foresee nila 'yung promotion nila," he said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News