MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he wants to “rationalize” the promotion system in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
PROMOTION SYSTEM. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. poses for a photo opportunity with newly sworn in Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) generals and flag officers at Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (Feb. 7, 2023). Marcos said he wants to “rationalize” the AFP promotion system. (Photo courtesy of the Office of the President)
He made this remark after administering the oath of office to 77 newly appointed and promoted AFP generals and flag officers at Malacañan Palace on Monday.
This is the first time that happened since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country in 2020.
“‘Yung promotion, SOP [standard operating procedure] na ‘yan(Promotion is already SOP). That’s why we did what we did earlier to normalize and I used the word rationalize ‘yung promotions system na ginawa sa AFP (the promotions system being done at AFP),” he said in a media interview after the 2023 Tax Campaign kickoff of the Bureau of Internal Revenue at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
“So this is just another part of that ongoing process. We normalize the process of promotion already and naibalik natin sa dati (brought it back to what it used to be),” he added.
In his speech during the oath-taking ceremony, Marcos urged the military to “keep up with the times” and be more agile in fostering partnerships as the global situation becomes “more and more complicated.”
“We, therefore, have to be more agile in our responses not only in the military area but also in diplomacy, also in geopolitical negotiations, and in our partnerships that we foster with our friends and allies around the world,” he said.
Marcos, as AFP commander-in-chief, underscored the need to strengthen the country’s collaboration with various government agencies, allies, partners and other stakeholders to safeguard and advance the country’s national interest amid tensions and challenges.
He said the role of the AFP and its commanders has changed hence the need to continue to keep up with the times.
“Not only has the situation – the geopolitical situation become more complex, even the method of warfighting has become more complex with the new technologies, with the new capabilities that have become available to us,” he added.
NSC priority programs
Meanwhile, Marcos on Tuesday convened the National Security Council (NSC) to discuss its priority programs in a meeting at the state dining room of Malacañan Palace.
Marcos was joined by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Secretary Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile.
NSC Director General and National Security Adviser (NSA) Secretary Eduardo Año presented his report to the President.
Año was accompanied by NSC Deputy Director Generals Benjamin Madrigal Jr., Nestor Herico and Marlo Guloy, as well as National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Director Ernesto Torres Jr.
