Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

H.B. No,__ 062

Introduced by HONORABLE JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The improvement of the regular officer delivery system of the Philippine Air Force (PAF)
has a long-felt need in the military establishment,

The PAF Flying Schools (PAFFS), which is at present, the main source of regular
officers in the PAF can no longer cope with the required number and proper training of officer
pilots for the PAF because of inadequate facilities and logistical support. Additionally, since a
college degree is an academic requirement for entrance into the PAFFS, thousands of our gifted
high school graduates ‘are denied the opportunity of serving our country through the PAF simply
because they are unable to obtain financial support for a college education.

The creation of Philippine Air Force Academy (PAFA) is a response to this problem in

line with the constitutional mandate of guaranteeing equal access of opportunity for public
service

Given the inherent political instability of a developing country such as the Philippines, we
should see to it that an unwanted relationship among officers often called “regular ‘officer
homogeneity” is not created. Concerned Sectors believe that this “officer homogeneity" may
endanger a potentially explosive political situation where an Armed Forces is controlled in all its
branches, and at all levels, by regular officer school. The creation of the PAF Academy will help
preclude this situation.

There is also a need to professionalize the other Air Force officer career areas like
aircraft maintenance, avionics and air logistics to further enhance the efficiency and
effectiveness of the PAF. These highly specialized career fields cannot be adequately
addressed by a traditional military academy like the Philippine Military Academy.

The PAF Academy as conceptualised, is geared towards making available an adequate
and dedicated corps of professional Air Force officers with the proper education, training and
orientation to lead and manage the complex technologies inherent in the field of aviation

For the foregoing reasons, the approval of this bill is earnestly requested.

JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA
Representative
Lone District, Province of Aurora


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —)
First Regular Session )

H.B.No. 562

Introduced by Honorable JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA.

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE ACADEMY
(PAFA) AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Philippine Air Force Academy. There shall be established in the
Philippine Air Force an educational institution to be known as the Philippine Air Force Academy
(PAFA), hereinafter referred to as the Academy, for the instruction and preparation for military
service of Air Force Cadets.

SEC. 2. Administration. The Academy as herein established shall be organized and
administered by the Commanding General, Philippine Air Force (PAF) under the general
supervision and control of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

SEC. 3. Academic Board. The Academic Board of the Academy shall be composed of
the Superintendent, the Dean of the Corps of Professors, the Commandant of Cadets and the
Heads of the departments to be constituted as follows:
a) The Superintendent and the Commander of Cadets of the Academy shall be
detailed to those positions by the President from the Officers of the Air Force,
b) The Dean of the Corps of Professors shall be appointed from the permanent
professors who have served as heads of departments of instructions at the
Academy.
©) The Academic Board shall have the power to confer the degree of Bachelor of
Science under the rules and regulations as the Chief of Staff of the New Armed
Forces of the Philippines may prescribe upon all cadets who may hereafter
satisfactorily complete the approved course of studies.

SEC. 4, Department Title and Faculty. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines may prescribe the titles of each of the departments of instruction and professors of
the Academy However, each change of the title of a department of professor shall not affect the
status, rank or eligibility for promotion or retirement of, or otherwise prejudice, a professor of the
Academy.


SEC. 5. Cadet Corps of the Philippine Air Force. - The student body of the Academy
shall be known as the Cadet Corps of the Philippine Air Force (CCPAF). The President is
authorized to appoint annually, subject to such physical and mental examinations as may be
prescribed, the number of cadets necessary to maintain the Cadet Corps at a strength of four
hundred and not exceed four hundred eighty (480) at any one time.

The strength of the Cadet Corps of the Philippine Air Force is as follows:

(1) Two (2) cadets from each Congressional District nominated by the
Congressional Representative of the District; and
(2) Eighty (80) cadets from the Philippines at large which shall be composed of:

(a) Twenty (20) selected in order of merit, as established by competitive
‘examination from the children of members of the Armed Forces who
were Killed in action or died of wounds or injuries received or diseases
contacted in or preexisting injury or disease aggravated by active
service; provided, that, children of members of the Armed Forces who
were awarded the Medal of Valor for an act performed while in the
‘Armed Forces shall automatically qualify for admission.
For the purpose of this Act, a determination by the Line of Duty Board
of the major services that a death is service connected is binding
upon the Secretary of National Defense.

(b) Forty (40) from the enlisted members of the Armed Forces, twenty
(20) from the regular Armed Forces and twenty (20) from the reserve
‘components of the Armed Force.
‘The Secretary of National Defense shall prescribe regulations for the
selection of candidates under this subsection

(c) Twenty (20) from the cultural communities as may be selected by the
President. 3

The Academy shall provide for educational and physical facilities for the recruitment and
training of women as members of the Cadet Corps.

Four (4) Years from the approval of this Act, women shall be admitted and shall
comprise not less than five per cent (5%) of the strength of the Cadet Corps at any time.

All cadets shall be appointed by the President. An appointment is conditional until the
cadet is admitted,

If it is to be determined that, upon the admission of a new class to the Academy, the
number of cadets at the Academy will be below the authorized number, the Chief of Staff may
nominate, as may be qualified, alternates and other qualified candidates who competed for
nomination and are recommended and found qualified by the Faculty as are necessary to meet
the needs of the Air Force, but not more than the authorized strength of the Cadet corps.

SEC. 6. Eligibility for Admission. To be eligible for admission, a candidate must be:
1) Single and must never have been married;
2) Anatural-born citizen oC the Philippines;

2


3) Atleast seventeen (17) years of age but not more than twenty two (22) years of age
on the first day 04 April of the year of admission;

4) Atleast high school graduate;

5) Asuccessful examine; of the prescribed physical and mental examination; and

6) A successful examinee of the National Secondary Assessment Test.

SEC. 7. Pay and Allowances. The pay and allowances of the Cadets of the Academy
shall be fixed by the President.

SEC. 8. Undertaking. - Each cadet shall sign an agreement that unless sooner
separated by duly authorized authorities, he shall:
1) Complete the course of instruction at the Academy;
2) Accept an appointment and serve as a commissioned officer of the Armed

Forces of the Philippines for at least eight years immediately after graduation
from the Academy,

SEC. 9. Cadet Requirement. Any Cadet who shall after entrance to the Academy and
before completion of prescribed courses of training, be found physically and mentally unfit for
military assignment by reason of injury or disease incident to the service, shall be retired with
the rank of a second lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Philippines.

SEC. 10. Prohibition Against Hazing. Subject to the approval of the Secretary of
National Defense, the Superintendent of the Academy shall issue rules and regulations
preventing hazing and prescribe dismissal suspension, and other adequate punishment for
violation thereof.

For the purpose of this Act, “hazing’ means any unauthorized assumption of authority by
a cadet whereby another cadet suffers or is exposed to any form of injury, indignity, humiliation,
hardship or oppression or the deprivation or abridgement of any right

If a cadet is charged with violating any rule or regulation issued pursuant to this Section,
the penalty of which is dismissal from the Academy, a request in writing for a trial by a general
court martial may be submitted

A cadet dismissed from the Academy for hazing shall not be reappointed as an Air Force
Cadet and shall be ineligible for appointment as a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces of
the Philippines unit after two (2) years from the graduation of this class.

SEC. 11. Commission. Upon satisfactory completion or the course of instruction at the
Academy, the cadets shall be commissioned second lieutenants in the regular force or the
Philippine Air Force with the relative rank in the order of final general standing as determined by
the Academic Board of the Academy and approved by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines.


SEC. 12, Transfer of Assets and Liabilities. The Philippine Air Force Flying School,
including the members of its faculty and personnel, its records, equipment assets and liabilities
are hereby transferred 0 and integrated with the Philippine Air Force Academy.

SEC. 13. Budget. The initial appropriations necessary for the establishment of the
‘Academy shall be charged to the appropriation of the Department of National Defense
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the improvement, operation and maintenance of the
Academy shall be charged to the appropriation of the Department of National Defense
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the improvement, operation and maintenance of the
Academy shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC, 14, Effectivity. This Act shall take effect upon its approval

Approved,