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 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 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 Staf
 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 Secretary of National Defense in accordance with the
policies or directives of the President, may assign or detail commissioned
officers and enlisted personnel of the Army, Air Force, or Navy, to the Philippine
Constabulary or any of its subordinate units. The officers and enlisted personnel
so assigned or detailed shall have the authority and duties of peace officers and
shall be governed by the provisions of this section for the duration of their
assignment or detail.