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================= Proposed Reforms in the AFP and PNP ================= ================= ================= ================= ================= ================= in Venezuela: How Relevant to Other Developing Worlds ================= ================= The President is the Biggest Threat to Military Discipline ================= ================= Reinventing the Philippine Military ================= ================= ================= ================= ================= ================= ================= |
Proposed Reforms in the AFP, PNP and the Civil Service For a More Professional, People-Orented Government Service Brig. Gen. Jose B. Comendador, June 6, 2005 / Apil 2, 2006
Purpose:
This paper proposes to insulate not only the AFP, but also the PNP and the Civil Service from politics in order to redirect the orientation of government service back towards the people.
Background
Our country has experienced fast turnovers of AFP Chiefs of Staff and PNP Directors, as well as, Cabinet/Department Secretaries for many reasons we are all aware of recently – politics dominating all other factors.
The “supremacy-at- all-times-of-civilian-authority-over-the-military” clause cannot be invoked on the PNP – an integral part of civilian authority. Would this tacitly imply “supremacy of the civilian authority (with the police - its armed component) over the military, as well? Recent graduates of the PNP Academy were told, you have been authorized to hold guns, “yours is not to question nor reason why; yours is but to do and die”. ”…Why is it that the Commission on Appointments does not also require “to insulate the police from partisan politics”…is it not also “the state’s duty to strengthen the patriotic duty and nationalist consciousness and the professionalism of the AFP” …and of the PNP, as well? Why this strong bias only against the military?
We must stop the corrosive practice of appointing cabinet members from the private sector who get appointed and given a lot of authority without the corresponding responsibility; whose tenure is co-terminus with the appointing power. Because of this short uncertain tenure in office, we often hear the popular rationale that “we serve at the pleasure of the president” creating a “catch-as-much-can” attitude while in the service. In more ways than one, they have contributed to the problem rather than assist in good governance and some have even brazenly raided the public treasury. Examples: ‘Outsiders’ Garci, Bolante, Lorenzo, etc fooled and put 84.2 million Filipinos to shame and look helpless internationally. The people, have become victims of a recurring immoral hit-and-run operating system and, sadly, no one admits responsibility for the mess these ‘outsiders’ have put this country into!
Do away with ‘outsiders’ put into the bureaucracy to lord over the civil servants who are better qualified and knowledgeable about the job. Should a need for special skills and expertise arise and there’s justifiably none available in government, that should be the only time ‘outsiders’ can be taken in, but only as consultants for that particular area where his expertise is needed for a specific period and reappointed only if justified as necessary.
Problem: There’s a need to insulate the AFP/PNP and the civilian bureaucracy from politics.
Objective: To have a more professional, service-to-people-oriented military, police and civilian bureaucracy
Facts Related to the Problem:
Recent Development
1. Reference: The Daily Tribune, Sunday, 02 April 2006 which reported the following: AFPC/S proposed “to exempt lower-ranked officials from facing the Commission on Appointments for their appointment or confirmation of their promotion”…” to approve only the appointment or confirmation of those from colonel to general”…”to preclude an early stage for politicians to influence military officers or their proteges”
2. C/A vice-chairman Pichay reacted to the proposal saying, Senga “should shut up because he is only betraying either his fascistic tendencies or ignorance of one of the bedrock principles” of the Constitution, then followed this up with an impressive citing of several articles and sections of the !987 Constitution about, among others, the “supremacy at all times of civilian authority over the military”…”that the military should be insulated from partisan politics”… “that it is the state’s duty to strengthen the AFP patriotic duty and nationalist consciousness and the professionalism of the AFP”…and added “the AFP chief cannot emasculate the commission just to suit the whims of some AFP officers who are afraid to face the confirmation process.”
The AFP Promotion System
Is a long, continuous screening process that spans from a soldier’s (O or EM) entry into the service up to the time he retires.
1. After basic training, the soldier undergoes mandatory education/ up-grade training at various stages of his military career which are required to qualify for promotion to the next higher rank/grade. His performance in schools become part of his service records.
2. Appropriate orders cover all duty assignments and is evaluated in his performance of these duties, also reflected in performance evaluation reports, copies of which are attached to his service records.
3. After about 20-25 years in various duty assignments on the job; series of up-grade education/ training; annual performance evaluations, the screening process starts to become even more meticulous as the pyramid tapers off and becomes narrower; the need for lateral attrition becomes imperative; competition among peers/ classmates become more intense, the lieutenant colonel is advised to ‘tip-toe’ - ever careful not to cross the paths of any member of the powerful Commission on Appointments for confirmation of his promotion to full colonel, then again, if he makes it further upwards for promotion to the subsequent star ranks and positions of responsibility. It is at this point that the tentacles of politics bear heavily on the AFP.
PNP Promotion System
The PNP is a uniformed armed civilian agency of government. The PNP promotion system may be similar to the AFP system, but the senior officers do not go through the Commission on Appointments for confirmation of their promotion, or, appointments. The “supremacy-at- all-times-of-civilian-authority-over-the-military” clause cannot be invoked on the PNP – an integral part of civilian authority. Would this tacitly imply “supremacy of the civilian authority (with its armed component – the police) over the military, as well? The recent graduates of the PNP Academy were told, you have been authorized to hold guns, “yours is not to question nor reason why; yours is but to do and die”. ”…Why is it that the Commission on Appointments does not also require “to insulate the police from partisan politics”…is it not also “the state’s duty to strengthen the patriotic duty and nationalist consciousness and the professionalism of the AFP” and of the PNP, as well? Why this strong bias only against the military?
Comments/ Observations
Proposed Reforms to Insulate the AFP/ PNP and the Civil Service from Politics, such as, but not limited to the following:
To Insulate from Politics, the AFP/PNP
Do away with AFP promotions passing through the Commission on Appointments. Promotions to the next higher ranks from Lt. Colonel upwards and to limit confirmation by the Commission on Appointments only of senior officers considered for appointments to sensitive command positions of responsibility, such as the major service commanders and deputies up to the Chief of Staff, and must be based essentially on merits strengthened by the following established strict criteria that can be drawn from individual service records:
a) Educational attainment b) Performance in field duties c) Medals, awards and decorations received d) Other outstanding / meritorious accomplishments officially recognized by competent authorities / institutions – military, civilian, foreign, etc.; e) Demonstrated sterling leadership qualities, strength of character and strong potentials for higher positions f) Individual overall profile reflected in the annual Officer Evaluation Reports and the Soldier’s Performance Ratings.
..and the Civil Service/
For a truly professional civil service, a similar set criteria and seniority lineal roster in each department must also be maintained by the bureaucracy / civilian agencies of government so that cabinet secretaries and other agency heads will only come from the departments who will be selected based on similar criteria and performance ratings, more or less. Do away with ‘outsiders’ put into the bureacracy to lord over the civil servants who are better qualified and knowledgeable about the job. Should a need for special skills and expertise arise and there’s justifiably none available in government, that should be the only time ‘outsiders’ can be taken in, but only as consultants for that particular area where his expertise is needed for a specific period and reappointed only if justified as necessary.
Leadership Aptitude Rating System
Had been in existence in the AFP for as long as I can remember throughout my 36 years in the service since PMA days. Essentially, the Academy concept of rating one’s peers, upperclassmen and tactical officers and lowerclassmen established, among other performance criteria, the ranking of a cadet in the seniority list within each class in the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines. Academic performance determined on graduation his initial seniority in the lineal roster of the AFP regular force, which may change for meritorious promotions, if not, demotions for cause.
Both the AFP officer (non-PMA’ers included) and the enlisted man undergo evaluation and performance ratings throughout their active military service, which form part of respective service records. These ratings, among other AFP-set promotion criteria, count a lot during consideration for promotion to the next higher rank by the Promotions Board and finally, the Board of Generals – a continuing screening process, only to be negated and devastated at the Commission on Appointments level which consequently erode faith in the ratings system, because all one needs to have is political connections to get to the top, diverting the soldier from his constitutional duty to protect the people and the state to protecting the politicians in power. – the sad results of which we are experiencing today.
Although the enlisted men do not go through the Commission on Appointments, their actions are highly influenced through the chain of command by senior officers playing politics. That is how politics permeate down to the lowest ranks. Politically-favored senior officers who walk the corridors of power and often seen in the cocktail circuits with the high and the mighty are given choice positions / commands only when they are about to be promoted just to comply with a criterion that require, among others, an officer must have held a major command position to qualify for promotion. This practice had raffled feelings of other more senior officers who have been out in the combat areas for most of their career.
For Good Government
It is a fact that in both the armed services (AFP/PNP) and the civilian agencies, all rank and file employees undergo rigid entry prerequisites, in-service training and pass thru mandatory upgrade schooling / training as they gain experience and rise in ranks through the years, as a general rule, through merit and results of performance ratings. Why still put in ‘outsiders’ mainly for political reasons/ paybacks. Why should the political factor override professionalism in government service to meet the needs for good governance. Political power?…but good governance enhances and strengthens political power. Hence, good governance is good politics. Pure politics does not necessarily bring about good governance. Achieving good governance must be the more dominant objective in appointing cabinet secretaries.
We must stop this corrosive practice of appointing just anybody who in more ways than one have caused more problems than good in government and raids in our public treasury. Examples: Untouchable ‘outsiders’ Garci, Bolante, Lorenzo, etc were appointed and given a lot of authority without responsibility. Result: they fooled and put 84.2 million Filipinos to shame and look helpless internationally. The people, have become victims of a recurring immoral hit-and-run operating system and, sadly, no one admits responsibility for the mess these ‘outsiders’ have put this country into!
The people, in collaborative efforts with the military, police and civil servants must initiate and demand these specific reforms. Also demand appointees to top positions in civilian government to voluntarily and irrevocably resign to give way to deserving leaders and CESO-qualified civil servants. There had been no reported disruption in the functioning of the departments suddenly left by the Hyatt 10 – because there are professionals in the department who can run them even without the ‘outsiders.’
Comments/ Observations on Recent Developments
The AFP Chief of Staff, Gen Generoso Senga is right in taking steps to lessen the base of politicking among the senior officers. It was uncalled for and distasteful of an honorable congressman to over-react to the reform proposal by calling Gen Senga names and branding him ignorant of the law. Senga proposed “to exempt lower-ranked officials from facing the Commission on Appointments for their appointment or confirmation of their promotion.”
Senga’s proposal will only lessen the number to be confirmed, but definitely will not diminish the supremacy of civilian authority over the military, and the congressman need not worry about “if the Commission had not been created, who else would determine if military officers are qualified to their appointive posts” because this function is not being removed from the Commission on Appointments. Besides, long before an officer gets to the Appointments body, he will have undergone years of screening and the AFP will have identified those qualified through the Promotion Boards and the Board of Generals, rendering the C/A’s confirmation function purely ministerial.
Congressman Pichay and his group will not determine who will qualify; they will only choose who would best qualify from among those pre-determined and presented qualified by the Board of Generals who have considered all factors and years of service of the officer under consideration. For the C/A to assume that function of determining who qualifies would be encroaching deeply into the function of the Board of Generals and would be counter-productive. That would not insulate but instead worsen politicization of the AFP.
Section 22K of the National Defense Act of 1935 allows the AFP to send one half of one percent of its officer corps to civilian, or, military post-graduate schools. The AFP also requires that candidates for promotion to full colonel and the star rank must have completed a master degree education from any civilian school, or, its equivalent in military schools. Many officers have taken up post-graduate studies in various fields – business management; law; public administration and advance technical sciences. In all these educational endeavors, the officers had also been taught how to do environmental analyses, or, to scan the strategic environment which span the social, political and economic dimensions of any problem situation. In short, the AFP officer corps of today have been having the “proper education and orientation” over the years, long before Mr. Pichay became congressman, and in fact, by that continuing education and training process, the AFP officers have been awakened on what good governance is all about and have learned exactly what to do with bad leadership.
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