The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest military officer in the Armed Forces. He commands all its elements—The Philippine Air Force, Army, and Navy. He directly answers to the President of the Philippines, who is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
[VIEW PHOTOS: Armed Forces of the Philippines in History]
The Role of the Chief of Staff of the AFP
The President of the Philippines exercises his authority over the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as Commander-in-Chief[1] in view of the principle of the supremacy of civilian authority over the military, in order to strengthen this vital constitutional principle which is a fundamental requirement of democracy. This authority is enshrined in Article VII, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.
For his part, the Secretary of National Defense (SND), as alter ego of the President, heads the Department of National Defense, and exercises “executive supervision”[2] over the AFP, and supervises the National Defense program of the country; his role is primarily in the realm of policy-making.[3] Because of this, the SND is not empowered to give operational commands to the armed forces, and is not part of the chain of command.
This is because, as Commander-in-Chief, the President exercises his authority over the armed forces directly through the Chief of Staff of the AFP. As the highest military officer in the armed forces that answers solely to the President, the Chief of Staff is only second to the President in the chain of command. Thus, the Chief of Staff executes the commands directly given by the President to the Armed Forces in relation to military operations. He is responsible for planning, developing, and executing the national defense program prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense.
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Introduction
The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest military officer in the Armed Forces. He commands all its elements—The Philippine Air Force, Army, and Navy. He directly answers to the President of the Philippines, who is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
[VIEW PHOTOS: Armed Forces of the Philippines in History]
The Role of the Chief of Staff of the AFP
The President of the Philippines exercises his authority over the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as Commander-in-Chief[1] in view of the principle of the supremacy of civilian authority over the military, in order to strengthen this vital constitutional principle which is a fundamental requirement of democracy. This authority is enshrined in Article VII, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.
For his part, the Secretary of National Defense (SND), as alter ego of the President, heads the Department of National Defense, and exercises “executive supervision”[2] over the AFP, and supervises the National Defense program of the country; his role is primarily in the realm of policy-making.[3] Because of this, the SND is not empowered to give operational commands to the armed forces, and is not part of the chain of command.
This is because, as Commander-in-Chief, the President exercises his authority over the armed forces directly through the Chief of Staff of the AFP. As the highest military officer in the armed forces that answers solely to the President, the Chief of Staff is only second to the President in the chain of command. Thus, the Chief of Staff executes the commands directly given by the President to the Armed Forces in relation to military operations. He is responsible for planning, developing, and executing the national defense program prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense.