PCG ‘demoralized’ over Noy appointment of Rear Admiral

From the opposition newspaper the Daily Tribune (Apr 7): PCG ‘demoralized’ over Noy appointment of Rear Admiral

The appointment and allegedly irregular process for Cmdr. William Melad’s designation as Rear Admiral is causing demoralization in the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), prompting calls for action to be taken on the divisive issue.

President Aquino approved the promotion of Melad, commander of the PCG Central Visayas District, to Rear Admiral, a two-star rank in the country’s uniformed services, despite the fact that he should have been retired in 2012.

No fewer than 169 officers of the PCG are demanding the immediate recall of the promotion of Melad as PCG insiders noted that it was a clear violation of the PCG Law of 2009.

In fact, according to documents provided The Tribune, no less than the director of the administrative service of the Department of Transportation and Communications, Rowena Quiogue, in her letter to Undersecretaries Eduardo Oban, Juanito Bocayan and Dante Lantin dated Feb. 13, 2014, strongly recommended against the promotion of Melad, as he should have been long considered to have retired.

According to the PCG Law, the maximum tenure for a Coast Guard Admiral, Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral is three years each; for a commodore is five years and captain is seven years.

Based on Coast Guard records, Melad was promoted to the rank of commodore on Dec. 18, 2007, and should have served in the position not later than Dec. 18, 2012.

Under the law he can only hold the rank for five years or until 2012 and should have been compulsorily retired since he was not promoted or occupying a position which called for the next higher rank which was rear admiral.

If the one-year grace period provided under Republic Act 9993 was applied to Melad, that would have been good only until 2013.

As such, according to lawyer Gerard Chan of the Legal Department of the DoTC, Melad should have been attrited in 2012.

Attrition, according to Section 2 of Republic Act 7430, Chan said, is defined as the reduction of personnel through resignation, retirement, or dismissal in accordance with existing laws.

But despite being long overdue for retirement, Melad was endorsed by PCG Vice Admiral Rodolfo Isorena for promotion to rear admiral, which Aquino granted in August 12, 2014.

With Melad’s promotion, the promotion in turn of 169 PCG officers were reportedly bypassed, causing demoralization among their ranks.

“Some people in the department are saying the President was not aware Melad should have long been retired when he promoted him. But he has his own men to check on that. Unfortunately, that’s how incompetent the President is,” said the Tribune source.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/pcg-demoralized-over-noy-appointment-of-rear-admiral