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WHEREAS, under existing law, the position of Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is authorized a grade of General while the position of Vice Chief of Staff, second ranking officer of the AFP, which should be authorized the next succeeding lower grade is, in fact, authorized a grade of Major General which is two grades lower;

WHEREAS, the position of Deputy Chief of Staff, the third ranking officer in the General Headquarters (GHQ), AFP, which should be authorized two grades lower than the Chief of Staff, AFP is authorized a grade of Brigadier General which is three grades lower;

WHEREAS, the position of the lour Major Service Commanders arc authorized the grade of Brigadier General but their immediate principal subordinates, the Vice/Deputy Commanders, Chief of Staff, and major unit commanders are, at present, actually in the same grade;

WHEREAS, the Commanding General of the Presidential Security Command, concurrently the Senior Military Adviser to the Commander-in-Chief, holds a position of great responsibility and should have the rank commensurate to his position;

WHEREAS, the position of Assistant Chiefs of Joint Staff (JI, J2, J3, J4, J6, and J7) are authorized grades lower than the Major Service Chiefs of Staff and their Major Unit Commanders even though the positions of the former are of higher category in the AFP Command and Staff structure;

WHEREAS, the Assistant Chiefs of Joint Staff exercise direction and supervision over the Major Service Staff and their Major Unit Commanders in the name of the Chief of Staff, AFP, or, where authority is specifically delegated, in their own name;

WHEREAS, the major commands as well as the general staff positions of comparable Armed Forces of other nations are headed by officers with grades higher than counterpart representative in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, placing the Philippine military representative at a disadvantageous position in international military conferences;

WHEREAS, it is necessary to maintain the pyramidal pattern in the Command and Staff structure of the Armed Forces of the Philippines by restructuring the hierarchical grade relationships and Lo strengthen the stature of the pivotal and sensitive positions in the AFP; and

WHEREAS, the greatly increased responsibilities and crucial role of the military under Presidential Proclamations No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and No. 1104, dated January 17, 1973, coupled with the sizeable increase in the AFP standing force from 2 1,000 in 1948 when the AFP Personnel Act (Republic Act No. 291) was passed to 100,000 beginning July this year, requires that every effort be made to strengthen and improve the command and control structure of the Military organization;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 108 1, dated September 21, 1972, Proclamation No. 1104, dated January 17, 1973, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby decree that:

1. The following positions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be authorized the grades or their equivalent in the Philippine Navy as herein indicated:
   
   

   	Chief of Staff, AFP	General (0-10)
   	Vice Chief of Staff, AFP	Lieutenant General (0-9)
   	Commanders of Major Services, AFP	Major General (0-8)
   	Commander of Presidential Security Command, AFP	Major General (0-8)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff, AFP	Major General (0-8)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff for Home Defense	Brigadier General (0-7)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, J1	Brigadier General (0-7)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, J2	Brigadier General (0-7)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Organizations & Training, J3	Brigadier General (0-7)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, J4	Brigadier General (0-7)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, J5	Brigadier General (0-7)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff for Comptrollership, J6	Brigadier General (0-7)
   	Deputy Chief of Staff for Material Development and Foreign Military Assistance, J7	Brigadier General (0-7)
   	The Inspector General, AFP	Brigadier General (0-7)

   
   
2. The positions of Commanders of Task Forces, Major Units and other key positions of the AFP shall be authorized the grade of Brigadier General/Commodore as the President may direct.
3. The following percentages of the total officer strength authorized for the AFP are hereby prescribed:
   
   

   	General Officer of the Regular Force	.75		percent
   	Colonel	5.2		percent
   	Lieutenant Colonel	11.6		percent
   	Major	17.2		percent
   	Captain	19.7		percent
   	First/Second Lieutenant	45.55		percent

   
   
4. The rate of monthly base for Lieutenant General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be one thousand seven hundred fifty pesos (P1,750).
5. The retirement grade of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be General, the retirement grade of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be Lieutenant General, and the retirement grade of the Major Service Commanders shall be Major General to include their retirement benefits.
6. All laws, executive orders, general orders, or decrees which are, in whole or in part, inconsistent with this Decree are hereby repealed or deemed superseded.

Done in the City of Manila, this 30th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.