Article 55p. 55

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND LAW OF PUBLIC OFFICERS TEXT AND RULES

Forces General Staff, and prescribe the titles, functions

and duties of their members;

(b) Abolish existing staffs, offices and units in the

General Headquarters not specifically provided in this

Chapter or by any other provision of law, or transfer or

consolidate their functions and duties with other staffs,

offices or units; and

(c) Abolish the position of any Deputy Chief of Staff or

any general staff office and transfer or consolidate its

functions and duties with those of another Deputy Chief

of Staff or General Staff Office.

(2) If the President does not prescribe otherwise, the

organization,

functions,

and

duties

of

various

staffs,

offices

and units in the General Headquarters shall

continue as provided under existing laws and regulations

not in conflict with provisions of this Chapter.

CHAPTER 8 Major Services

SECTION 46. Organization .— The Major Services shall

be organized by the Chief of Staff in accordance with the

policies laid down by the Secretary of National Defense.

The commanders of the Major Services shall hold such

grade as provided by law, and shall be appointed by the

President upon the recommendation of the Secretary of

National Defense.

SECTION 47. General Provisions . — The Secretary of

National Defense, upon recommendation of the Chief of

Staff, AFP, shall assign to the Major Services specific

functions in support of the overall responsibilities of the

AFP and the Department.

SECTION 48. The Philippine Army . — The Philippine

Army shall be responsible for the conduct of operations

on land, in coordination with the other Major Services. It

shall be organized as prescribed by the Secretary of

National Defense, upon recommendation of the Chief of

Staff.

SECTION 49. Functions . — The Philippine Army shall:

(1) Organize, train and equip forces for the conduct of

prompt and sustained operations on land;

(2) Prepare such units as may be necessary for the

effective prosecution of the national defense plans and

programs

and

armed forces missions, including the

expansion of the peacetime army component to meet

any emergency;

(3) Develop, in coordination with the other Major

Services, tactics, techniques and equipment of interest to

the army for field operations;

(4) Organize, train and equip all army reserve units;

and

(5) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law or assigned by higher authorities.

SECTION

50.

The

Philippine

Air

Force .

—

The

Philippine Air Force shall be responsible for the air

defense of the Philippines. It shall be organized as

prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense, upon

recommendation of the Chief of Staff.

SECTION 51. Functions . — The Philippine Air Force

shall:

(1) Organize, train, and equip forces for prompt and

sustained

air

operations

for

the

defense

of

the

Philippines;

(2) Organize, train, and equip for airlift, airborne and

tactical air operations unilaterally or in coordination with

surface forces;

(3)

Formulate

and

develop

doctrines,

concepts,

systems,

policies,

procedures,

strategies,

tactics

and

techniques for operations peculiar to the Air Force;

(4) Organize, train, and equip all air force reserve units;

and

(5) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law or assigned by higher authorities.

SECTION 52. The Philippine Navy . — The Philippine

Navy shall be responsible for the naval defense of the

Philippines. It shall be organized as prescribed by the

Secretary of National Defense, upon recommendation of

the Chief of Staff.

SECTION 53. Functions . — The Philippine Navy shall:

(1) Organize, train and equip forces for prompt and

sustained naval operations;

(2) Prepare the necessary naval units for the effective

enforcement of all applicable laws upon the Philippine

seas and waters, the prosecution of national defense

plans and programs and armed forces missions, including

the expansion of a peacetime navy component to meet

any emergency;

(3)

Formulate

and

develop

doctrines,

concepts,

systems,

policies,

procedures,

strategies,

tactics

and

techniques for operations peculiar to the Navy;

(4)

Enforce

laws

and

regulations

pertaining

to

navigation safety of life at sea, immigration, customs

revenues, narcotics, quarantine, fishing and neutrality of

the territorial contiguous waters of the Philippines;

(5) Organize, train and equip all naval reserve units;

and

(6) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law of assigned by higher authorities.

SECTION 54. The Philippine Coast Guard . — The

Philippine

Coast

Guard

shall

remain

as

a

major

subordinate unit of the Philippine Navy and assigned

functions pertaining to safety of life at sea as vested in it

by law.

SECTION 55. The Philippine Constabulary . — Unless

otherwise provided by law, the Philippine Constabulary,

as the national police force, shall be primarily responsible

for

the

preservation

of

peace

and

order

and

the

enforcement of laws throughout the Philippines. It shall

be organized, trained and equipped primarily as a law

enforcement agency. It shall be organized as prescribed

by

the

Secretary

of

National

Defense

upon

recommendation of the Chief of Staff.

SECTION

56.

Functions .

—

(1)

The

Philippine

Constabulary shall:

(a) Prevent and suppress lawless violence, rebellion,

insurrection, riots, brigandage, breaches of the peace and

other disturbances, and see to it that perpetrators of

those offenses are brought to justice;

(b) Organize, train, equip and prepare its forces for

effective law enforcement operations and police duties;

(c) Organize, train and equip constabulary draftees,

reservists and reserve units;

(d) Develop tactics, techniques, organization, weapons,

equipment and supplies essential to the accomplishment

of its missions; and

(e) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law or assigned by higher authorities.

(2)

In

times

of

war

or

national

emergency,

the

Philippine Constabulary or any of its subordinate units

may be employed jointly with, or in support of the

operations of, the other Major Services, as the President

may direct.

SECTION 57. Authority of Constabulary Officers and

Enlisted Personnel . — (1) Commissioned officers and

enlisted personnel of the Philippine Constabulary, as

peace officers, shall execute lawful warrants and orders of

arrest issued against any person for any violation of law.

(2)

The

Philippine

Constabulary

shall have police

jurisdiction throughout the Philippines.

(3) When the constabulary forces in any area are

unable to cope effectively with violations of law, the

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