Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (Philippines)


The Chairman of Joint Chiefs is the highest-ranking military officer and the head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines including all service branches under its command. It is usually held by a four-star rank of General/Admiral and was formerly known as the "Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines" until June 2020. Its direct equivalent in the US Armed Forces is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Unlike his US counterpart which is merely supervisory, he has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the AFP.
The holder of this position is appointed by, as well as directly reports to the President of the Philippines under the Article VII, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution. He executes the President's commands, tactics, operations, plannings, and strategies, as well as serves as the Immediate Adviser to the Secretary of National Defense. He also prescribes directions to all commands.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines were created as a result of the National Defense Act of 1935. However, the origin of the organization can be traced back to the establishment of the Philippine Constabulary, armed Filipino forces organized in 1901 by the United States to combat the Philippine Revolutionary Army then led by General Emilio Aguinaldo.

History

The position of the Chief of Staff has been traced from the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, when the Philippine Commonwealth Army was established as the main army of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. After the defeat of the First Philippine Republic during the Philippine–American War, the United States dissolved the army and relied on its armed forces together with some Filipino troops under the Philippine Constabulary. However, the National Defense Act of 1935 led to take on responsibilities on national defense and pave way for the creation of three major commands. Since the 1960s, the rosters of the Chiefs of Staff is arranged accordingly.
The AFP Chief was assisted by the Vice Chief of Staff of the AFP and The Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP, both holders of the rank of Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral. The Vice Chief of Staff serves as the assistant of the AFP Chief in their operational duties, they also assists the AFP Chief in their absence, while The Deputy Chief of Staff supervises the organizational staff, overall policy and strategy, and perform other duties assigned by the AFP Chief.
On June 19, 2020, under the DND Order no. 174, the title of Chief of Staff was renamed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, while the Vice Chief of Staff as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and the Deputy Chief of Staff as Chief of the Joint Staff.

List of Chief-of-Staff of the Philippine Revolutionary Army

List of Chief-of-Staff of the AFP

List of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs

See Also