"President Duterte should discontinue this appointment philosophy."
Most presidents of the Philippines have appointed high-ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to important positions in civilian government offices upon the officers’ retirement. The appointments were made on an occasional and non-regular basis. But President Ferdinand Marcos gave, and President Rodrigo Duterte has been giving, appointments to retired high-ranking military officers to civilian positions on a basis so regular as to partake of official policy.
President Marcos’ stuffing of the government with retired military officers—generals, admirals and colonels—was to be expected. Being a chief executive ruling by martial law, Marcos needed the support and loyalty of the men who had just ceased to command troops. He wanted the former commanders to be busy so they would not be involved in plots against his authoritarian regime. Mr. Marcos wanted the former generals, admirals and colonels to be where he could watch them.
President Duterte's rationale for appointing military brass to important civilian positions immediately upon their retirement is made up of two parts. One part has been publicly indicated by Mr. Duterte: He likes just-retired military officers because they are disciplined and because they are not corrupt. The second part of the rationale can only be surmised. The general idea is that Mr. Duterte, like Mr. Marcos, wants to keep the retired military officers busy so that they will not think of plotting against him. The nation's 16th President is well aware of the numerous enemies that he has created with his unorthodox, tough-guy policies.
The principal arguments in favor of extending the government service of retiring high-ranking military officers are that these men—and women—are well trained and disciplined, and that at age 56, the retiring graduates of the Philippine Military Academy still have close to ten years of experience and skill to contribute to public service.
One of the two principal arguments against retaining retiring military officers in the government is that their appointment to civilian positions in the government deprives other qualified and experienced men and women of the opportunity to move upward in the civil service. The other principal argument has been brought to the fore once more in the controversy involving former general Ricardo Morales, who recently was pressured to resign as president of PhilHealth.
Mr Morales is the latest addition to a lengthening list of former high-ranking military officers who were given important positions by President Duterte upon their retirement. Like the Chief Executive's other ex-soldier appointees, Mr. Morales will probably be charged with gross mismanagement, incompetence, and possibly corruption. The other failed Duterte appointees held leadership positions at such sensitive agencies as the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Immigration.
Mr. Morales' ouster from his PhilHealth presidency should be the final nail in the coffin of the retired-generals-are-superior philosophy.
Mr. Duterte should discontinue his policy of engaging retired military officers. They are not better than their civilian peers.