(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 of Generals/Flag Officers, Providing for a More Effective Attrition System, And Promoting Funds Therefore". "We would like to thank the members of Congress, especially Sen. Dick Gordon, Sen. Ping Lacson and Cong. Boboy Tupaz for advocating and espousing this law throughout the legislative process," Lorenzana said. Under new law, the AFP chief-of-staff, vice chief-of-staff, deputy chief-of-staff, heads of the major services (Army, Navy and Air Force), unified command commanders and inspector general will have a three-year term of office "unless sooner terminated by the President." The President may extend the AFP chief-of-staff's tour of duty in times of war or other national emergency declared by Congress. The law also gives the Philippine Military Academy superintendent a tour of duty of four years, "unless sooner terminated by higher authority." Meanwhile, the law also provides for the compulsory retirement of military personnel at 56 or 30 years' satisfactory active duty, whichever is later -- for those in the grades of second lieutenant/ensign (O-1) to colonel/captain (O-6). For those in the grades of brigadier general/commodore (O-7) to lieutenant general/vice admiral (O-9), the retirement age will be 59 or the maximum tenure-in-grade, whichever comes earlier. Officers or enlisted personnel may avail of optional retirement upon accumulation of at least 20 years satisfactory active duty. The law also provides that officers and enlisted personnel shall be retired one rank higher from the last rank held, provided that retirement benefits shall be based on the permanent grade last held, though this will not apply to those still in active duty prior to the effectivity of the law; and provided that the said retirees will form part of the Reserve Force. Republic Act 11709 also limits the number of general officers to 0.01 percent of the AFP's total strength and will reduce the number of its general officers from the present 196 to 153, which we believe is the optimal number of generals to efficiently and competently lead the AFP. "Lastly, we thank President Duterte for signing it into law RA (Republic Act) 11709, which caps his vision and programs -- higher pay, more troops, more brand new equipment, and improved health services -- for a better and professional AFP that he implemented during his term," Lorenzana said. (PNA) }