Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7304

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by:
REPRESENTATIVES PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ and RODOLFO C.
FARINAS

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE MARINE CORPS, DEFINING
ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippine Marine Corps (“PMC”) was created through the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (“AFP”) General Orders nr. 319 s. 1950
issued by then Secretary of Defense Ramon Magsaysay to respond to the
security threat of the emerging Hukbalahap insurgency in the mountains
and plains of Central Luzon up to the present ISIS-inspired revolution
right in the heartland of Marawi, Mindanao.

Although the PMC has lived up to its mandate, its lack of Charter
has caused institutional challenges, including but not limited to fiscal and
organizational restrictions. Despite these, the PMC has provided seamless
transition of military power between sea and land domains.

The men and women of the PMC have served and responded to the
call of duty gallantly. During the 1960s, the PMC spearheaded the conduct
of strategic maneuvers against the Hukbalahap. In the 80s, they were the
force that upheld the stability of the country during EDSA people power.
In the 90s, the lawlessness of terrorist groups down South was curtailed
by the PMC. In the 2000s, they were one of the main players in the fall of
omen Bakr. On that same decade, they were the force combating

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terrorists in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. During the 2010s, a decade
known for natural disasters, the vigorous men and women of the PMC
are everywhere to alleviate the impact of disasters to the Filipino people.

Much blood has been spilled, lessons learned and experience gained
in the service of the Filipino people with the loss of 1,437 men since
1950. In the 2017 Battle of Marawi alone, 36 brave souls gave their lives
for the motherland. These men and women might be few but they remain
proud, always faithful in their sworn honored duty to country for the last
67 years.

This bills seeks to establish the PMC as a branch of service, distinct,
autonomous, but complementary to the Army, the Air Force, and the
Navy under the AFP. This aims to institutionalize PMC as an armed
uniformed service, amphibious in character, and a maneuver force in
readiness of AFP that includes seaborne, land, combat, and support
services, among others.

The archipelagic nature of the Philippines necessitates the
imperative need for an expanded, rapidly deployable amphibious
maneuver force primarily mandated to conduct seaborne, sustained on-
shore, multinational cooperation and engagements for the protection of
its 7,641 islands and islets, the communities and the people therein, as
well as respond to the needs of a nation prone to natural disasters.

In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly
sought.

ay

P. LEON! LVAREZ RODOLFO C. FARINAS

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7304
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by:
REPRESENTATIVES PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ and RODOLFO C.
FARINAS

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE MARINE CORPS, DEFINING
ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the
“Philippine Marine Corps Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - In accordance with Section 3,
Article II of the Constitution that mandates the supremacy of civilian
authority over the military, and Section 4, Article XVI of the same that
provides “the Armed Forces of the Philippines (“AFP”) shall be
composed of a citizen armed force that shall undergo military training
and serve, as may be provided by law”, it is hereby declared the policy
of the State to maintain, organize, and enhance the AFP for the
continuing development of national defense to maintain peace and
order.

SEC. 3. Establishment. - The Philippine Marine Corps, (“PMC”),
is hereby established as an armed uniformed service, amphibious in
character; distinct, autonomous, but complementary to the Army, the
Air Force and the Navy, as an independent branch of service of the AFP.

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The PMC shall include ground combat, combat support, combat
service support, aviation component, and such other units as may be
necessary for the pursuit of its mandate.

SEC. 4. Powers and Functions. - The PMC shall have the following,
powers and functions:

(a)
(b)

(8)

(hy

0)
0

To conduct combined arms operations in the littoral battle
space and beyond under the AFP;

To coordinate with the other branches of service in
developing various phases of amphibious operations,
which pertain to the tactics, techniques, and procedures
with the necessary equipment employed by landing
forces and that of a joint maneuver force;

To organize, train, equip, maintain, develop, deploy, and
supervise the PMC Reserve Force (“PMCRF”) for the
purpose of assisting the PMC in carrying out its
functions;

To formulate and develop doctrines, concepts, systems,
policies, procedures, strategies, tactics, and techniques for
operations peculiar to the Marines;

To develop its capabilities for seaborne maneuvers;
sustain maneuver ashore; and multinational cooperation
and engagement that is amphibious in character, multi-
role in nature, a seaborne arms force with on-shore
defense capability possessing combined arms with
supporting air components ensuring its capability and
effectiveness as a major combatant in the protection of the
islands of the Philippine Archipelago;

To establish bases and facilities for the realization of its
operational potential;

To utilize Information Technology, and technological
innovations to advance the pursuit of its mandate;

To deploy such forces necessary for strategic defense
under the Joint Defense Force and for employment of
operational commands;

To deploy forces for disaster response, relief, and
rehabilitation efforts of the AFP;

To deploy forces in support to the law enforcement
agencies in the performance of their duties and
responsibilities in implementing the laws of the land;

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(k) To perform such other functions that may be necessary in
the attainment of the objectives of this Act; and

() To determine its requirements which shall be addressed
by a fiscal allocation and modernization efforts of the
Department of National Defense (“DND”).

SEC. 5. Philippine Marine Corps Bases and Facilities. - To carry
out the powers and functions of the PMC and the enhancement of its
capabilities, three (3) PMC Headquarters, shall be established—one (1)
in Luzon, one (1) in Visayas, and one (1) in Mindanao. The PMC
Headquarters in Mindanao shall serve as the National Headquarters of
the PMC. All of the PMC Headquarters shall be in strategic locations
where it can sustain its deployed forces given both spectrums of war
condition. A Marine Division may be established to effectively respond
to the needs of the operational commands based on its distinct
characteristics and operating concept, as may deem necessary.

SEC. 6. PMC Commandant. - The Commandant shall head the
PMC, and shall carry the rank of Lieutenant General. The Commandant
shall be directly appointed by the President from among its Marine
Corps Generals, upon the recommendation of the AFP Chief-of-Staff and
the Secretary of the DND.

SEC. 7. Creation of the Marine Reserve Component. - The PMC
shall maintain, supervise, develop and train the PMC Reservists as a
reserve force under the direct control and supervision of the PMC
Commandant and shall assist the PMC in the conduct of efforts on force
development as a whole.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Commandant
of the PMC shall promulgate rules and regulations for the
implementation of this Act, as well as the provision of acts, decrees, and
orders, related to the implementation of the PMC functions, to be
approved by the President and the Commander-in-Chief, with the
conformity of the Secretary of DND, and recommendation by the Chief-
of-Staff of the AFP.

SEC. 9. Appropriations. - The PMC Commandant shall

immediately prepare the necessary guidelines to cover the establishment
of the PMC as a service branch of the AFP, the initial funding of which

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shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the PMC
and, thereafter, in the Annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC 10. Transitory Provisions. ~The incumbent two-star officer,
Major General, shall be the Acting PMC Commandant, pending the
appointment by the President. Likewise, the existing organizational
structure of the PMC shall be followed until new rules and regulations
have been promulgated, and approved by the President.

Further, this Act shall not diminish, reduce, or remove the existing
benefits and privileges of PMC personnel under existing laws, rules, and
regulations.

SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any provision of
this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid; such parts not affected
thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
rules and regulations and other issuance's or parts thereof which are
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers

of general circulation.

Approved,

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