SEC.
12. Categorization of Citizen Soldiers. - There
shall be three (3) categories of citizen soldiers or
AFP reservists: the First Category Reserve, the Second
Category Reserve, and the Third Category Reserve based
on age.
(1)
First Category Reserve - The First Category Reserve
shall be composed of able-bodied reservists whose ages
are between eighteen (18) years and thirty-five (35)
years, inclusive.
(2)
Second Category Reserve - The Second Category Reserve
shall be composed of able-bodied reservists whose ages
are between thirty-six (36) years and fifty-one (51)
years, inclusive.
(3)
Third Category Reserve - The Third Category Reserve
shall be composed of all able-bodied reservists who
are above fifty-one (51) years of age.
SEC.
13. Classification of Reserve Force Units. - Based
on the categorization provided in Section 12 above,
the Reserve Force units shall further be classified
into the Ready Reserve, the Standby Reserve and the
Retired Reserve based on their operational readiness
for immediate deployment/utilization.
(1)
Ready Reserve - The Ready Reserve shall be composed
of citizen soldiers belonging mostly to the First Category
Reserve and others as provided in this Act who shall
be organized, trained and maintained as mobilizable
ready reserve subject to call at any time to augment
the regular armed force of the AFP not only in times
of war or national emergency but also to meet local
emergencies arising from calamities, disasters and threats
to peace, order, security and stability in any locality,
including the need to provide assistance in relief and
rescue work and other civil assistance activities. Any
reservist or citizen soldier belonging to the Second
Category Reserve and/()r the Third Category Reserve,
particularly the commissioned and noncommissioned officers,
who will volunteer to serve with the Ready Reserve shall
be allowed, if qualified and fit for duty, to join and
actively participate as part of the Ready Reserve and
shall serve with an appropriate Ready Reserve unit.
Furthermore, members of the AFP Affiliated Reserve units
of various government and private utilities and services
considered essential for the preservation of the economic
stability of the country or particular locality, such
as power and electricity, water supply, transportation
and communications, among others, regardless of their
categorization shall be classified as Ready Reserve.
All
citizen soldiers belonging to the First Category Reserve,
except those exempted under this Act, shall be required
to serve with Ready Reserve units and will have assignments
and promotions in accordance with existing policies
of the AFP until transferred to the Standby Reserve
by virtue of their age.
The
following citizen soldiers may be exempted from rendering
service with said reserve units:
(a)
Active members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
and the Philippine National Police;
(b)
Those who are residing abroad but only during the duration
of their absence from the Philippines;
(c)
Those who are physically and mentally unfit to serve
their tour of duty;
(d)
Those who are convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude;
and
(e)
Those who may be exempted from duty for valid reasons
which may be authorized on a case-to-case basis by appropriate
and
competent authority. For this purpose, the AFP shall
issue such appropriate guidelines, rules and regulations
as may be necessary.
(2)
Standby Reserve - The Standby Reserve shall be composed
of citizen soldiers belonging mostly to the Second Category
Reserve and the Third Category Reserve, except as provided
in this Act. The members of the Standby Reserve shall
be organized and assigned to specified reserve units
and shall be maintained through annual assembly tests
to update their records and their present addresses,
among others. The Standby Reserve may be mobilized or
ordered to active duty only in times of national emergency
or war. The ranks of the members of the Standby Reserve
may be upgraded if they voluntarily participate in training
or serve with the Ready Reserve units in their areas
or if their Standby Reserve units undergo retraining.
They will however be encouraged to upgrade their military
knowledge and skills by taking up nonresident or resident
courses which shall be set up for the purpose.
(3)
Retired Reserve - The Retired Reserve shall be composed
of citizen soldiers who have qualified for retirement
through length of service, old age or disability. For
this purpose, sixty-five (65) years shall be considered
as the retirement age. However, if qualified and fit
for duty, a member of the Retired Reserve may be ordered
to active duty in times of local or national emergencies
if he volunteers for active duty and when the Secretary
of National Defense determines that there are not enough
qualified citizen soldiers with his special skills and
qualifications in the Ready Reserve or the Standby Reserve
in his particular area of residence.
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