WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 1638, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 1650, also known as the œAFP Military Personnel Retirement and Separation Decree of 1979,  established a system of retirement and separation from the service for the AFP military personnel;

WHEREAS, in the implementation of said law, the practice has been to secure presidential approval of the compulsory retirement of military personnel;

WHEREAS, the authority to approve the compulsory retirement of officers and enlisted men of the AFP has been previously delegated by the President to the Secretary of National Defense by virtue of Administrative Order No. 150, series of 1990, in pursuance of the government ™s policy of decentralization and administrative delegation of functions;

WHEREAS, the Major Services ™ Commanders are entrusted with the responsibility for the recruitment enlistment, re-enlistment and promotion of enlisted AFP personnel, such that, approval action relative to their retirement and separation from the service can be better discharged by the Major Service Commanders;

WHEREAS, military policy dictates enhancement of personnel administration, particularly, the availment by enlisted personnel of retirement and separation benefits;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby delegate to the Major Service Commanders, Armed Forces of the Philippines the authority to approve the retirement and separation from the service of enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in accordance with existing laws on retirement and separation.

The Secretary of National Defense is empowered to promulgate specific rules and regulations to carry out this delegation of authority.

All issuances, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Administrative Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Done in the City of Manila, this 9^th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand.

(Sgd.) JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA
President of the Philippines

By the President:
(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary