Guerrero, 40 senior AFP officers get CA nod

MANILA, Philippines — Eleven days before his retirement, Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero was confirmed as Armed Forces chief of staff by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Guerrero led 40 other senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who also got the CA’s  nod.

Appointed last Oct. 25 as the successor of Gen. Eduardo Año, Guerrero will serve as the chief of staff until Dec. 17 when he turns 56, the mandatory retirement age for military personnel.

During the hearing, San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora cited the need to review the law covering the early retirement age of those in the military, specifically the chief of staff.

Zamora, who serves as vice chairman of the CA, said there is a need to revisit the policy of retiring “so readily and so cavalierly people who are in the prime of their lives.” 

“The chief of staff will be retiring simply because he will reach 56. Fifty-six is not an old age where you can retire. He is not an old man. Why are we retiring somebody as senior, as experienced as our new chief of staff? This is a policy that we need to examine,” Zamora said. 

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a CA member, said he fully supports the position taken by Zamora, and has in fact filed a bill before to amend Republic Act 8186, which prescribes the officer grade distribution among the active members of the AFP.

Lacson said he supports setting a fixed term for the AFP chief of staff and other officers so that they would be able to serve beyond the mandatory retirement age of 56.

In an interview with reporters after his confirmation hearing, Guerrero said the AFP has also submitted proposals to adjust the retirement age and terms of the chief of staff and the major service commanders.

With such a short stint as chief of staff, Guerrero said he would just continue the programs and campaign plan he took over from his predecessor.

There have been calls for Guerrero’s term to be extended beyond Dec. 17.

Guerrero refused to comment on this but said that having someone beyond the age of 56 at the helm of the AFP would only be to the advantage of the organization because he brings with him his experience, wisdom and expertise.

There have also been questions in the past over the revolving door policy at the AFP or the appointment of the most senior military officer as chief of staff despite his nearing retirement age. 

Among the other senior officers of the AFP whose promotions were also confirmed by the CA yesterday were Major Generals Dino Diño, Alvin Parreño, Nicolas Parilla, Rizaldo Limoso and Antonio Lim; Lieutenant Generals Emmanuel Salamat, Rolando Bautista, and Benjamin Madrigal Jr.; and Rear Admirals Rommel Jude Ong and Giovanni Bacordo.

In a separate hearing yesterday, the CA also confirmed retired Supreme Court justice Jose Mendoza as a member of the Judicial and Bar Council.

Also confirmed were Ambassadors Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia (Norway with concurrent jurisdiction over Finland, Sweden and Denmark); Denis Yap Lepatan (Switzerland with concurrent jurisdiction over Liechtenstein); Eduardo Jose de Vega (Belgium with concurrent jurisdiction over Luxembourg, the Commission of the European Communities and the Council of the European Union); and businessman Demetrio Tuason (Mexico with concurrent jurisdiction over Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic and Cuba).