Editing Armed Forces of the Philippines (section)

===Fixed Term for key officials===
On May 16, 2022, the [[Malacañang Palace]] announced that the President [[Rodrigo Duterte]] has signed a law, known as Republic Act no. 11709, that enables a three-year fixed term for key officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, such as [[Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines]], the Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the [[Commanding General of the Philippine Army]], the [[Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force]], the [[Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy]], The Inspector General, and for the respective commanders of the Unified Commands. Meanwhile, junior officers ranging from the ranks of second lieutenant/ensign to colonel/captain, as well as enlisted personnel, will be compulsorily retired upon reaching the age of 56 or served a maximum of 30 years of active service, while flag officers who reached the rank of brigadier general/commodore to lieutenant general/vice admiral will have a retirement age of 59, unless named as a commander of the service branch or unified command, as defined in the law. Under the new law, members who will be appointed in the Corps of Professors will be retired upon reaching the age of 60 or the completion of 20 years of active duty, while the Superintendent of the [[Philippine Military Academy]] will have a four-year term, and will not be eligible to be placed in a higher position, such as the Chief of Staff, and shall be retired upon reaching the end of their term. The law also enables the [[President of the Philippines]] to terminate their respective roles before the expiration of their fixed term, and has the powers to extend the term of the Chief of Staff in times of war, or national emergency matters, with the consent of the [[Congress of the Philippines]].<ref name="Fixed 3-year terms for military chiefs ensure stability of programs">{{cite news |title=Fixed 3-year terms for military chiefs ensure stability of programs |url=https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/19/fixed-3-year-terms-for-military-chiefs-ensure-stability-of-programs/ |work=Manila Bulletin |date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Duterte signs law granting fixed three-year term for top military officials">{{cite news |last1=Panti |first1=Llanesca |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Duterte signs law granting fixed three-year term for top military officials |language=en |work=GMA News Online |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/831829/duterte-signs-law-granting-fixed-three-year-term-for-top-military-officials/story/ |access-date=May 7, 2023}}</ref> The new law aims to increase the AFP's organizational professionalism and stability in within the institution, and will further enhance the AFP's efficiency, preparedness and effectiveness to the AFP's mandate. The law also aims to lessen the effects of the "revolving door" policy and eliminating short-term duties for the commanders within the ranks.<ref name="PRRD signs law fixing term of AFP chief, other senior officers">{{cite news |title=PRRD signs law fixing term of AFP chief, other senior officers |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174571 |work=www.pna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref>

However, the new law encountered many problems within the AFP's organization, which caused some middle ranking officers to raise their concerns regarding the promotions of younger officers within the hierarchy, while addressing concerns for the possible reduction of promoted officers within the ranks of lieutenant colonel to colonel/ lieutenant commander to commander due to reduced tenure limits, and allaying fears of lowering a merit-based promotion system.<ref name="Lawmakers taking AFP pulse about new law on tenure">{{cite news |last1=Mangosing |first1=Frances |title=Lawmakers taking AFP pulse about new law on tenure |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1699927/lawmakers-taking-afp-pulse-about-new-law-on-tenure |work=INQUIRER.net |date=December 1, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, another hurdles also hounded the higher ranks, due to the fixed tenures of various officers, and on the appointment of [[Bartolome Vicente Bacarro]] as the [[Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines|AFP Chief of Staff]], where in an editorial made by then-AFP Spokesman retired Major General Edgard Arevalo in [[The Manila Times]] named "The fates of two AFP chiefs of staff", where Bacarro's appointment as AFP Chief was made months prior of General [[Andres Centino]]'s mandatory retirement age, in which makes Centino's position as the only four star officer in the AFP is still higher than Bacarro's, which prevented Bacarro to be promoted to the next rank.<ref name="The fates of two AFP chiefs of staff">{{cite news |last1=Arevalo (Ret.) |first1=Maj Gen Edgard A. |title=The fates of two AFP chiefs of staff |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/11/27/opinion/columns/the-fates-of-two-afp-chiefs-of-staff/1867963 |work=The Manila Times |date=November 27, 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Amend RA 11709">{{cite news |last1=Villanueva |first1=Marichu A. |title=Amend RA 11709 |url=https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2023/01/09/2236228/amend-ra-11709 |work=Philstar.com}}</ref> The problems regarding the new law caused rumblings in the AFP's organization, which was also admitted by then [[Secretary of National Defense (Philippines)|DND Officer-in-Charge]] [[Carlito Galvez Jr.]].<ref name="Grumblings in AFP must end: Senate bill proposes 5 changes to unpopular 3-year rule">{{cite news |last1=Fernandez |first1=Daniza |title=Grumblings in AFP must end: Senate bill proposes 5 changes to unpopular 3-year rule |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1726664/senate-bill-seeks-five-amendments-to-law-to-put-afp-grumblings-to-rest |work=INQUIRER.net |date=February 7, 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Alleged rumblings in AFP merely due to RA 11709: Galvez">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1193157|title=Alleged rumblings in AFP merely due to RA 11709: Galvez &#124; Philippine News Agency|website=Philippine News Agency }}</ref> After months of deliberations, a new law was made in order to fix the problems caused by Republic Act no. 11709, and on May 17, 2023, the Republic Act no. 11939 was signed by President [[Bongbong Marcos]], which reduced number of officials of having fixed terms to only five, namely the [[Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines]], which will have a maximum of a three-year tenure. Four other high ranking officers will also  will have a maximum of a two-year tenure, which consists of the [[Commanding General of the Philippine Army]], the [[Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force]], the [[Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy]], and the Superintendent of the [[Philippine Military Academy]]. The newly revised law also maintained the powers of the [[President of the Philippines]] to terminate their terms at his/her pleasure.<ref name="Republic Act No. 11939 {{!}} GOVPH">{{cite web |title=Republic Act No. 11939 {{!}} GOVPH |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2023/05/17/republic-act-no-11939/ |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines |date=May 17, 2023}}</ref> On January 7, 2023, General [[Andres Centino]] was reappointed as AFP Chief of Staff, replacing Lieutenant General [[Bartolome Vicente Bacarro]], which made Centino the only AFP Chief to be appointed in the same office twice, from November 12, 2021, to August 8, 2022, and on January 6, 2023, to July 19, 2023, and is the only AFP Chief to be appointed in the post by two Presidents.<ref name="AFP welcomes General Centino as 59th Chief of Staff, bids farewell to Lieutenant General Bacarro">{{cite news |title=AFP welcomes General Centino as 59th Chief of Staff, bids farewell to Lieutenant General Bacarro |url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/2023/01/07/afp-welcomes-general-centino-as-59th-chief-of-staff-bids-farewell-to-lieutenant-general-bacarro |work=PIA |date=January 7, 2023}}</ref>