The law signed by President Marcos Jr. last May 17, Republic Act No. 11939, provides for a maximum tour of duty for three consecutive years for the AFP Chief of Staff “unless sooner terminated by the President.”
RA 11939 amended the previous law, RA 11709, which prescribed fixed terms for the key officials of the AFP. The existing law (RA 11939) clearly states that the AFP Chief of Staff will compulsorily retire upon the completion of a tour of duty or upon relief by the President.
In both instances, when Gen. Andres Centino was reappointed last January as Chief of Staff of the AFP and now has him replaced by Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner ahead of his compulsory retirement, the President exercised his prerogative as the Commander in Chief which is allowed under RA 11939 and RA 11709. If I may further emphasize, the authority to appoint is one of the President’s foremost powers under our Constitution.
Gen. Centino already made significant accomplishments in improving our internal security situation and I commend him for his dedicated service as the outgoing Chief of Staff. He will be handing over a much better AFP to Gen. Brawner.
As he takes on his significant responsibility, I am confident that Lt. Gen. Brawner will lead the AFP with the highest level of integrity, professionalism, and honor. Throughout his distinguished career, Lt. Gen. Brawner has proven himself as a capable military leader. His extensive experience in various key positions within the AFP has honed his skills in managing complex operations and addressing the security challenges that our country faces.