Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. did not break the law when he returned Gen. Andres Castor Centino as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) five months after removing him from the military organization.
Republic Act 11709, which aims at further professionalizing the military, provides for a three-year fixed term for AFP chiefs and other military officers. Signed by then President Rodrigo Duterte on April 13, 2022, the law should have assured Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Marcos' first appointee as AFP chief, to serve until August 2025. But the same law says the covered officers' tour of duty begins on the date the appointment is signed and "shall be for three consecutive years unless sooner terminated by the President."
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