Cayetano proposes
to change mandatory retirement age for uniformed personnel
By Office of Senator Alan
Peter S. Cayetano
May 11, 2017
PASAY CITY – Senator
Alan Peter Cayetano is proposing to adjust the compulsory retirement
age for the country's uniformed men and women from fifty-six (56) to
sixty (60) years old.
Cayetano recently filed a
measure seeking to adjust the compulsory retirement age for officers
and enlisted men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), members
of the Philippine National Police (PNP), uniformed officers and
non-officers of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and members/officers
of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology (BJMP).
“We need more competent and
dedicated uniformed personnel to assist our government pursue its
programs to ensure peaceful, orderly, and safe communities," Cayetano
said as he filed Senate Bill No. 1436 last May 4.
Cayetano pointed out that
the tasks performed by the personnel of the PNP, BJMP, the Philippine
Coast Guard, and the BFP require long years of training and
experience.
He said he is confident that
at age 56, these personnel can still fulfill the physical, mental, and
psychological demands and rigors of their position.
Under existing laws,
civilian government employees are compulsorily retired at the age of
sixty-five (65), while the retirement age for uniformed personnel is
pegged at fifty-six (56).
Currently, uniformed
personnel who have accumulated thirty years of satisfactory service or
who have reached the age of 56 are compulsorily retired.
"Recognizing their
indispensable role as protectors of the State and its citizens, the
government has heavily invested in the training and development of the
officers and members of these agencies," the senator stressed.
“We need to maximize their
years of experience and wealth of knowledge, harness their leadership
skills and professional competence until the age of 60,” he added.
Cayetano hopes that
extending the years of service would also increase the number of
qualified personnel in these respective offices.
He noted that the long-term
goal is to keep hardworking and dedicated uniformed personnel longer
in service and to remove corrupt officials and scalawags who are
destroying the image of the institutions that they serve.
"The senior officials are in
the best position to help our administration to lead the reforms in
their respective agencies,“ Cayetano noted.
“Additional years in service
would also allow these officers to have more opportunities for career
advancement,” he added.