DEFENSE Secretary Voltaire Gazmin yesterday defended the promotion to lieutenant colonel of boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel ?Manny? Pacquiao, saying there is nothing irregular about the rise in rank of the most popular reservist in the Armed Forces.
?There is nothing irregular about the promotion of Sarangani Representative Emmanuel ?Manny? Pacquiao. The promotion of Congressman Pacquiao went through all the necessary process, pursuant to Section 40 of the National Defense Act, and in conjunction with Section 44 of Republic Act No. 7077,? Gazmin said.
?Pacman? previously held the rank of Senior Master Sergeant, the highest post possible for an AFP reservist who does not have a college degree. The Army leadership said the military considered Rep. Pacquiao?s honorary doctorate degree in humanities from the Southwestern University in Cebu City in 2009 as a basis for his promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel shortly after he defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt against American challenger Shane Mosley last May 7.
The Defense chief said that Section 44 of Republic Act No. 7077 states that ?elected officials and presidential appointees may be commissioned into the Reserve Force subject to the existing AFP rules and regulations.?
He said that Rep. Pacquiao was given a commission with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the AFP Reserve Force effective September 21, 2011.
The document approving the commissioning was signed by Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa under the authority of the President, he added .
The rank is pursuant to paragraph 5b, Group VI of Circular Number 4, GHQ AFP dated July 5, 2010, stating that a congressman can be granted a rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the reserve force.
This is the same for senators, provincial governors, mayors of highly urbanized cities, department secretaries, justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, members of the Constitutional Commission and ambassadors, Gazmin explained.
Rep. Pacquiao was enlisted as an Army reservist on April 27, 2006 with the rank of Sergeant. He was promoted to Technical Sergeant on December 1 of the same year. Shortly after he defeated Mexican boxer Antonio Barrera on October 7, 2007, he was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant.
