Article 53p. 53

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND LAW OF PUBLIC OFFICERS TEXT AND RULES

respective heads of the local government civil defense

organizations to which they appertain.

SECTION 30. Basic, Technical and Administrative

Services . —

(1) The basic services of the AFP shall be composed of

the Major Services. Enlisted personnel of the standing

force and the reserve force must belong to one of the

basic services.

(2) The technical services of the AFP shall be

composed of the Medical Corps, Dental Service, Nurse

Corps, Veterinary Corps and the Judge Advocate General

Service.

(3) The administrative services shall consist of the

Chaplain Service, Women Auxiliary Corps, Medical

Administrative Corps and the Corps of Professors.

(4) Appropriate military occupational specialties may

be prescribed by the Chief of Staff for each of the basic,

technical and administrative services.

(5) Appointment of officers to the basic, technical and

administrative services, and enlistment in the basic

service shall be governed by rules and regulations

prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense.

CHAPTER 5 Philippine Veterans Affairs Office

SECTION 31. Organization . — The Philippine Veterans

Affairs Office shall be headed by an Administrator who

may be assisted by one Deputy Administrator. It shall

have staff and operating units provided by law.

SECTION 32. Functions . — The Office shall:

(1) Formulate and promulgate, subject to the approval

of the Secretary of National Defense, policies, rules and

regulations

governing

the

adjudication

and

administration of veterans claims and benefit;

(2) Adjudicate and administer benefits, pensions and

other privileges granted to veterans, their heirs and

beneficiaries;

(3) Provide medical care and treatment to veterans

pursuant to existing law;

(4) Administer, develop, and maintain military shrines;

(5)

Formulate

policies

concerning

the

affairs,

placement and training of ex-servicemen, and assist their

widows

and

dependents,

and

other

retired

military

personnel; and

(6) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law.

CHAPTER 6 Armed Forces of the Philippines

SECTION 33. Functions . — The Armed Forces of the

Philippines (AFP) shall:

(1) Uphold the sovereignty, support the Constitution,

and defend the territory of the Republic of the Philippines

against all enemies, foreign and domestic;

(2) Promote and advance the national aims, goals,

interests and policies;

(3) Plan, organize, maintain, develop and deploy its

regular and citizen reserve forces for national security;

and

(4) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law or assigned by higher authorities.

SECTION 34. Composition . — (1) The AFP shall be

composed of a citizen armed force which shall undergo

military training and serve, as may be provided by law. It

shall be organized and maintained in a manner that shall

render it capable of rapid expansion from a peacetime

organization to a wartime or emergency organization.

The AFP shall keep a regular force necessary for the

security of the State. The officers and men of the regular

force shall be recruited proportionately from all provinces

and cities as far as practicable.

(2) The Standing Force shall be composed of regular

officers and enlisted personnel; reservists called to active

duty;

draftees;

trainees

and

government-sponsored

Filipino cadets enrolled in local or foreign military schools.

In

time

of peace, the size and composition of the

Standing Force shall be prescribed by the Secretary of

National Defense, upon recommendation of the Chief of

Staff.

(3) The Citizen Armed Force shall be composed of all

reservists, and officers and enlisted men on inactive

status. All able-bodied citizens shall undergo military

training, after which they shall become reservists with

appropriate ranks. All reservists in a particular locality

shall be organized into reserve geographical units subject

to call and mobilization as the need arises, individually or

as

a

unit.

The

Secretary

of

National

Defense

shall

prescribe

and

implement

a

continuing

program

of

recruitment and training for the Citizen Armed Force to

enable it to respond to all types of threats to national

security.

SECTION 35. Organizational Structure . — The AFP

shall consist of the General Headquarters; the Major

Services namely: the Philippine Army, the Philippine Air

Force, the Philippine Navy and, until otherwise provided

by law, the Philippine Constabulary; and other existing

units, services and commands of the AFP. The Secretary

of National Defense may, in accordance with the policies

or directives of the President, create additional units,

services

and

commands,

or

reorganize

the

AFP

in

response to any situation or in pursuance of operational

or contingency plans. No Major Service may be unfilled,

inactivated

or

merged

with

another

Major

Service,

without the approval of the Congress.

SECTION 36. Basic, Technical and Administrative

Service . — (1) The basic services of the AFP shall be

composed of the major services. Enlisted personnel of the

standing force and the reserve force must belong to one

of the basic services.

(2)

The

technical

services

of

the

AFP

shall

be

composed of Medical Corps, Dental Service, Nurse Corps,

Veterinary

Corps

and

the

Judge

Advocate

General

Service.

(3) The administrative service shall consist of the

Chaplain

Service,

Women

Auxiliary

Corps,

Medical

Administrative Corps and the Corps of Professors.

(4) Appropriate military occupational specialties may

be prescribed by the Chief of Staff for each of the basic,

technical and administrative services.

(5) Appointment of officers to the basic, technical and

administrative services, and enlisted in the basic service

shall be governed by rules and regulations prescribed by

the Secretary of National Defense.

SECTION 37. The Citizen Armed Force . — (1) The

Secretary

of

National

Defense

shall

cause

the

organization

of

the

Citizen

Armed

Force

into

Geographical Units throughout the country. The Citizen

Armed Force Geographical Units shall consist of cadre of

officers and men in the Standing Force and all qualified

reservists residing in a particular locality. The cadre may,

however, be assigned to another unit in the active force

while the Geographical Units to which they are assigned

are on inactive status.

(2) Whenever dictated by military necessity, and upon

the

recommendation

of

the

Secretary

of

National

Defense and approved by the President, the Citizen

Armed Force may be called or mobilized to complement

the operations of the regular force of the AFP or to

support the regular force formations or units. For this

purpose, Active Auxiliary Units which shall be part of the

Citizen Armed Force Geographical Units, may be utilized,

to be constituted out of volunteers to be screened in

consultations with the local executives and civic business

leaders. The status of Active Auxiliary Units shall be of a

degree of activation of military reservists short of full

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