Unhealthy AFP ‘groupthink’

Whenever inequality rears its ugly head, more so in a vital state apparatus like the Armed Forces of the Philippines, intercession from policymakers for much needed reform or structural adjustments becomes peremptory. Left unchecked, the symptoms of wicked practice infecting organizational culture might frustrate even well-thought out remedial intervention.

Put it this way, viz: graduates of the Philippine Military Academy are classified as regular officers; whereas graduates of probationary ensign/second lieutenant courses in the Navy, Army, and Air Force are classified as reserve officers. Both officer categories being full-time active military personnel and being equally commissioned by the President render such typologies as pure nomenclatures.

A vicious if long-drawn out “power struggle” between PMAers and non-PMAers becomes the single stumbling block for the latter to scale up the promotion ladder to flag or star rank in the military hierarchy. At that point, it’s made apparent that the train has left the station.

Even if reserve officers are more qualified candidates for flag or star rank and have satisfied the time-in-grade to the next higher rank, unabetted factionalism, even fanaticism, referred to as the “mistah system” seriously contravenes the time-honored tradition of seniority in the military service. If allowed to persist till kingdom come, who can save the pond where other life forms live underneath?

Verily, the heads of the defense and military establishments must ensure that reserve officers unconditionally enjoy parity, equity, equal opportunity as their PMA counterparts. The state owes it to the current and next generation of military officers not otherwise sourced from Fort del Pilar to enjoy this same professional parity or equal footing as the bedrock of promotion in rank.

Congress could immediately initiate a few enabling steps, viz: 1) check any relevant in-depth analyses written by students of the General Staff Course or Master in National Security Administration; 2) draft a White Paper outlining the prevailing promotion landscape adversely affecting the reserve officers or non-PMAers rising to flag or star rank; 3) tap a champion in the House of Representatives or Senate to call for a full-dress investigation designed to rectify the unabated discrimination in the arms profession.

This tug-of-war between regular and reserve officers has resulted in negative externalities, viz: a) the early retirement of otherwise well-deserving military officers; b) crippling demoralization affecting the esprit de corps; c) the whole organization not benefitting from the managerial, technical, professional expertise of more qualified, competent, committed individuals of the officer corps — all factors considered.

There had been prior policy pronouncements by then Department of National Defense secretary, Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana, toward what former National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Jose Almonte, advocated as a “level playing field.” Sadly, current DND Secretary Gibo Teodoro undermined the rationale of said reform meant to curb the excesses of a crippling sub-organizational “silo” mentality or “mistah” syndrome.

This piece foregrounds the view that seniority be upheld as far as practicable. Parenthetically, it foreswears any form of partiality, patronage, favoritism, or elitism that inflicts a “serious affront” to the intelligence, competence, expertise, and professionalism in the armed services.

On a “level playing field,” all officers alike go through the same criteria or benchmark for optimum meritocracy in the military profession. This shall eradicate the “mistah” sub-culture and burst the “bubble” of elitism and fanaticism.

Desirably, the pathway to flag or star rank promotion must be a “single seniority lineal list” and an inviolable merit system. Upon this metric, the cream of the crop will be selected.

If such already exists, it’s still in its infancy. What if such a covenant of equal opportunity were a mere raincheck?

It becomes apropos that those who would compose Selection and Promotion Boards, as “gatekeepers,” must be democratically chosen from the officers at large. Lest a volatile situation is sitting on a powder keg, the mistahs’ unhealthy “groupthink” must be swept into oblivion.

It’s high time to revisit Republic Act 291, approved on 16 June 1948, which contemplated that “officers shall be permanently appointed by the President in the Regular Force” — no reserve-regular dichotomy.