Law Summary

Introduction

Executive Order No. 921, issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos, establishes provisions for the accumulation and commutation of leave credits for civilian regular agents of the Philippine Constabulary and civilian agents of other intelligence units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), aimed at enhancing their morale and professional efficiency.

SECTION 1: Accumulation of Leave Credits

• Legal Principle: Civilian agents of the AFP can accumulate vacation and sick leave credits beyond the previous limitation of ten months.
• Key Definitions:
  • CIS Civilian Regular Agents: Employees of the Philippine Constabulary engaged in civilian roles.
  • Civilian Agents of Other Intelligence Units: Non-military personnel working within other intelligence agencies of the AFP.
• Important Requirements:
  • No limit on the accumulation of leave credits beyond ten months.
• Timeframes: None specified regarding the accumulation itself.

SECTION 2: Commutation of Leave Credits

• Legal Principle: Civilian agents prevented from taking leave due to service demands can commute their leave credits for cash.
• Key Definitions:
  • Commute: Converting earned leave credits into a cash equivalent.
• Important Requirements:
  • Minimum of five months of leave credits must be available to be eligible for commutation.
  • Commutation is capped at two months of leave credits per year.
• Consequence:
  • Agents may continue working and receive their regular pay while commuting their leave credits.
• Timeframes:
  • Commutation and cash value payments are subject to fund availability.

SECTION 3: Implementation Regulations

• Legal Principle: The AFP must create regulations to ensure equitable implementation of the leave credit provisions.
• Important Requirements:
  • Rules must be approved by the Minister of National Defense.
  • Regulations should align with existing laws.
• Consequences: Ensures structured and fair execution of leave credit accumulation and commutation.

SECTION 4: Funding for Commutation

• Legal Principle: Use of savings from the Major Services of the AFP to fund the commutation of leave credits.
• Important Requirements:
  • Authorization for spending savings is granted to the Chief of Staff of the AFP.
• Consequences: Facilitates the cash payout for commuted leave credits.

SECTION 5: Effectivity of the Order

• Legal Principle: The Executive Order takes effect upon its approval.
• Important Requirements:
  • No specific time limit for effectivity; it is immediate post-approval.

Key Takeaways

• Civilian agents of the Philippine Constabulary and other AFP intelligence units can now accumulate leave credits without limitation and commute them for cash under specified conditions.
• A minimum of five months of leave credits is required for commutation, with a cap of two months per year.
• The AFP is responsible for creating implementation regulations, ensuring fairness and alignment with existing laws.
• Funding for the commutation is sourced from AFP savings, authorizing the Chief of Staff to manage these funds.
• The order is effective immediately upon approval, enhancing the welfare and operational effectiveness of civilian agents in the AFP.