(PNA file photo) MANILA-With Republic Act 11709 officially a law, only the best officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can assume the highest posts in the military, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Tuesday. "The principal objective of this law is to allow general officers sufficient time, i.e., three years time-in-grade, to do their jobs. If they are not promoted to the next higher grade, they are retired. This ensures that only the best officers ascend the ladder of leadership. This also puts an end to the revolving door system in the AFP leadership that resulted from the retirement law passed in 1979," he said in a statement. President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed the law last April 13. Republic Act 11709 or "An Act Strengthening Professionalism and Promoting the Continuity of Policies and Modernization Initiatives in the Armed Forces if the Philippines, by Prescribing Fixed Terms For Key Officers Thereof, Increasing the Mandatory Retirement Age o
A new law that gives a fixed three-year term to the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other top military officials is seen to ensure that only the best are appointed to the posts, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said yesterday.