THE country’s leaders must see to it that the military is committed to professionalism, a former defense secretary and national security adviser said.

“We have to look into the quality of the national leadership that we have because that will impact an institution like the armed forces,” Norberto Gonzales said on “Business and Politics,” a program hosted by The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante “Klink” Ang 2nd every Saturday night on SMNI.

Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

earlier confirmed there was some discontent in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), but attributed it to the “anxiety” over the impact of Republic Act 11709 on the officers’ careers.

Under RA 11709 or the “Act Strengthening Professionalism in the AFP,” the chief of staff, vice chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, heads of the major services, unified command commanders and inspector general will have a fixed three-year term.

To appease the rumblings in the military, “ideas” that have been floated in the past should be reviewed, such as making sure that only the best among military officers are promoted.

“There are certain lessons, like if you achieve the rank of colonel, for example, and then at a given point you are not rising beyond that rank then you will be asked to retire,” said Gonzales. “That is just one way of allowing the promotion of people who can measure up to the demands of the institution. I really do not see that in the law that we have today.”

He said the idea of fixed terms for senior positions in the military also have to be re-evaluated.

He said there is no need for amendments since the President can “actually determine how long a particular office will be occupied by certain officers, particularly in the military.”

“Why not continue with that? You do not need amendments to the law,” said Gonzales, who was a candidate in the 2022 presidential election.

“You cannot just allow certain defects or certain personalities in our political system to be cured by certain laws,” he added.

Gonzales, who was the presidential chief of staff under the administration of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said he does not believe the Armed Forces wants to destabilize the government.

“Their priority is stability of the nation, especially in times like these wherein there are other more serious concerns in the world and in the country itself,” he said.

Gonzales also said the recent death of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison has no direct effect on the local communist movement.

“Joma is really more of a symbol to the communist movement in the country than actually occupying a top position in the CPP-NPA (New People’s Army) because he had been with them since the beginning,” he said.

Gonzales said the CPP-NPA is intact as an organization, and what it is looking for is “a new symbol.”

“As far as their operations are concerned, it will continue,” he said.

Gonzales noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can have an effective but “not necessarily open” way to deal with the decades-long insurgency by bringing in an independent facilitator.

“To get a quiet but effective third-party facilitator can actually convince the communist movement to give up its arms struggle,” said Gonzales.