Article 54p. 54

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND LAW OF PUBLIC OFFICERS TEXT AND RULES

active

duty

status.

They

shall

not

be

vested

with

law-enforcement or police functions.

(3) All members of the Citizen Armed Force on training

or service shall be subject to military law and the Articles

of War.

SECTION 38. Tactical and Territorial Organization . —

Unless otherwise prescribed by law, the major services

and other units of the AFP may be organized into such

commands,

forces

and

organizations

as

may

be

prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense. For this

purpose, the territory of the Philippines may be divided

into such tactical and geographical areas and zones or

regions and districts as the Secretary of National Defense

may direct.

SECTION

39.

Organizational

Principles .

—

The

organizational structure of the AFP shall provide for:

(1)

Centralized

direction

and

control

of

General

Headquarters to insure unity and coordination of efforts

throughout the military establishment;

(2) Decentralized execution of operations to the Major

Services and other separate units to achieve maximum

operational efficiency within the military establishment;

(3) Common doctrine, standardized procedures and

techniques throughout the military establishment to

assure common understanding among all its forces and

elements,

facilitating

thereby

the

attainment

of

maximum operational efficiency and effectiveness;

(4) Development of self-reliance concepts for each

Major Service to insure national defense and security and

maximum utilization of resources; and

(5) Development of the capability to participate in the

infrastructure projects of the government.

CHAPTER 7 General Headquarters

SECTION 40. Functions . — The General Headquarters,

AFP, shall:

(1) Serve as military advisor and staff to the Secretary of

National Defense;

(2) Prepare strategic plans and provide for the strategic

direction of the AFP, including the direction of operations

of unified or specified commands;

(3)

Prepare

integrated

logistic

responsibilities

in

accordance with those plans;

(4) Prepare integrated plans for military mobilization;

(5)

Provide

adequate,

timely

and

reliable

joint

intelligence for use within the Department;

(6)

Review

major personnel, material and logistic

requirements of the AFP in relation to strategic and

logistic plans;

(7) Review plans and programs of the Major Services

and

separate

units

to

determine

their

adequacy,

feasibility and suitability for the performance of their

respective detailed plans;

(8) Participate in the preparation of combined plans or

military action in conjunction with the armed forces of

other nations;

(9) Recommend to the Secretary of National Defense

the

establishment and force structure of unified or

specified commands;

(10) Determine the headquarters support, such as

facilities, personnel and communications required by

unified

or

specified

commands,

and

assign

the

responsibility of providing that support to appropriate

Major Services;

(11) Prepare and submit to the Secretary of National

Defense

for

his

consideration

in the preparation of

budgets and statements of military requirements based

upon strategic war plans, tasks, priority of tasks, force

requirements, and general strategic guidance for the

development of military force;

(12) Advise and assist the Secretary of National Defense

on research and engineering matters by submitting

periodic reports on board strategic guidance, overall

military requirements, and relative military importance of

development activities to meet the needs of the AFP;

(13) Prepare and submit to the Secretary of National

Defense

recommendations

to

appropriate

agencies

concerning

general

strategic

guidance

for

the

development of industrial mobilization programs;

(14)

Formulate

policies

and

guidelines

on

the

organization of the Major Services and other elements of

the military establishment, the training of military forces,

the employment of forces in the prosecution of tasks

required by law, and the employment of forces to assist

government agencies in the implementation of laws and

regulations when so directed by higher authorities; and

(15) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law or assigned by higher authorities.

SECTION

41.

Composition .

—

The

General

Headquarters shall be the command and control element

of the AFP. It shall be composed of the Office of the Chief

of Staff, Office of the Vice-Chief of Staff, the AFP General

Staff, and other staff offices and units necessary for

effective command and control of the AFP.

SECTION 42. The Chief of Staff . — (1) The Chief of

Staff, under the authority and direction of the President

and

the

Secretary

of

National

Defense

shall

be

responsible for the development and execution of the

national defense programs and armed forces mission;

and

prescribe,

in

accordance

with

policies

of

the

Secretary of National Defense, the organization, powers,

functions

and

duties

of

the

various

staffs,

services,

installations and other units of the AFP.

(2) The President shall nominate and with the consent

of the Commission on Appointments, appoint the Chief

of Staff from among the general and flag officers of the

basic

services.

He

shall

hold

the

grade

of

general

(Four-Star) and shall if eligible be retired in such a grade,

upon relief from his assignment.

(3) The tour of duty of the Chief of Staff shall not

exceed three (3) years. However, in times of war or other

national

emergency

declared

by

the

Congress,

the

President may extend such tour of duty.

SECTION 43. Vice-Chief of Staff . — The Vice-Chief of

Staff shall be the principal assistant of the Chief of Staff

and shall perform the functions of the Chief of Staff

during the latter's absence or disability. He shall be

appointed in the same manner as the Chief of Staff and

shall hold the grade of Lieutenant General (Three-Star).

He shall be retired in that grade if eligible for retirement

after his relief from his assignment, unless appointed as

Chief of Staff.

SECTION 44. The AFP General Staff . — The AFP

General Staff shall advise and assist the Chief of Staff in

the

performance

of

his

functions

and

in

the

accomplishment

of

the

tasks

of

the

General

Headquarters. It shall be headed by the Deputy Chief of

Staff, who shall be appointed by the Chief of Staff. The

AFP General Staff shall be a joint staff. The various General

Staff Offices shall each be headed by a Deputy Chief of

Staff whose appointment and tenure shall be determined

by the Chief of Staff. The organization, functions and

duties of the General Staff shall be prescribed by the

Chief of Staff.

SECTION 45. Authority to Reorganize the General

Headquarters . — (1) The Secretary of National Defense,

upon recommendation of the Chief of Staff in the interest

of efficiency and economy, may:

(a) Establish and organize staffs, offices and units in

the General Headquarters in addition to the Armed

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