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AFP REGULATIONS AFPR G 131-472

G 131-472

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City
08 April 1995

MILITARY DISCIPLINE AND WELFARE APPREHENSION

OF ABSENTEE WITHOUT LEAVE AND DESERTERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Paragraph

Statutory Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Definition of Terms . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Excessive Rate of AWOL and Desertion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Involuntary Absence Without Leave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Action Required When AWOL or Desertion Occurs . . . . . . 5
Apprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Preparation and Disposition of Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Absentee in the Hands of Civil Authorities Who
is Facing Criminal Charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Return of Absentees and Deserters to Military Control . . . 9
Status of Absentees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Erroneous Report of AWOL . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Property and Personal Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Pay, Allowances and Allotments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Monthly Report of Absentees and Deserters . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Penal Clause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Supersession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

1. STATUTORY PROVISIONS. – Articles of War 2, 38, 56 to 62

Inclusive, 105, 107 and 109 (CA 408, as amended by RA 242).

2. DEFINITION OF TERMS. -

a. Absence Without Leave (AWOL) – The status of a person

subject to military law who fails to report at the fixed time to the proper place of
duty, or goes away from the same without proper leave, or absent himself from his
command, guard, quarters, station or camp without proper leave (Refer to AW 62, as
amended by RA Nr 242).

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b. Absentee – One who is absent without leave.

c. Desertion – In general, desertion constitutes absence without

leave accompanies by intent to remain away permanently or to avoid hazardous duty
or to shirk important service. (Refer to AW 58, as amended by RA Nr 242).

d. Involuntary Absence – Absence by a person, who has been

entrapped, induced or in any other manner caused to become absent for reasons
beyond his control.

e. Military Authorities – The term “military authorities” will be

construed to refer to authorities of any or all of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

f. Dropped from Rolls of Organization – The administrative

procedure by which the name of an individual is deleted from the rolls of an
organization (company and higher commands) and his personal records are indorsed
to The Adjutant General (see subpara 11a below). This is a strength accounting
procedure, involving a coincident administrative determination of desertion, but does
not affect the individual’s discharge from the service. The name of the absentee or
deserter shall be deleted from all records of his unit and higher headquarters.

g. Return to Military Control – This term applies to absentees or

deserters who have been delivered to, or who have surrendered themselves to, or
have been apprehended by military authorities.

3. EXCESSIVE RATE OF AWOL AND DESERTION. - Higher

commanders shall impress upon their subordinate commanders that the prevention of
AWOL and desertion is an attribute of a successful commander and that its non-
prevention is a reflection on leadership which maybe a bar for career enhancement.
Commanding Officers of all echelons of command shall frequently check the number
of absentees from subordinate units and, whenever the rate appears to be excessive,
they shall cause an inquiry on the state of training, discipline and leadership of the
organizations concerned, for the purpose of taking remedial action.

4. INVOLUNTARY ABSENCE WITHOUT LEAVE. - Commanding

Officers shall be especially watchful for evidence of the use of involuntary absence
as an excuse to rid organizations of personnel considered undesirable. Offenses of
this nature shall be dealt with utmost severity.

5. ACTION REQUIRED WHEN AWOL OR DESERTION OCCURS. -

a. All commanders shall take vigorous steps to apprehend

absentees when an unauthorized absence becomes known. The responsibility of
commanders concerned is not discharged by merely taking the initial steps set forth
below; they must follow up required action with all possible effectiveness.

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b. In case of absence without leave, the officer responsible for

administrative procedures shall make appropriate entries in AFP AGO Form Nr 45
(Descriptive List of Absentees Wanted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines) and
shall furnish copies of the same to the Major Service Commander or Area
Commander having command jurisdiction over the absentee.

c. In cases of desertion, AFP AGO Form Nr 45 shall be

accomplished by the administrative or personnel officer concerned and shall furnish
copies of the same as follows:

(1) Two (2) copies to The Adjutant General, AFP (Attn:

The Provost Marshal General).

(2) One (1) copy to the Major Service Commander and the
Area Commander having command jurisdiction over the absentee.

d. The Provost Marshal General, AFP shall cause copies of the

said form to be circularized to all Major Service Commanders, Area Commanders
and Commanding Officers of all separate AFP units. In case the absentee is not
apprehended within a reasonable length of time, a copy shall be forwarded to the
National Bureau of Investigation. Copies shall also be furnished to civilian law
enforcement agencies covering the absentee’s residence, and those of any other place
where he is likely to be found.

e. The Major Service Commander or Area Commander of the

absentee shall circularize the information to all units in his command by giving the
description of the absentee on AFP AGO Form Nr 45 (Descriptive List of Absentee
Wanted by the AFP).

f. The Unit Commander of the absentee shall notify the nearest

relative by telegram or mail that subject personnel is on AWOL, or has deserted from
his unit.

6. APPREHENSION. - All possible means of apprehending an absentee

or deserter by military and civil authorities shall be resorted to. When a post, camp,
station or Unit Commander receives information from a civilian officer that he
intends to arrest, or has arrested an absentee or deserter, the Commander shall
ascertain the status of the absentee or deserter from The Adjutant General, Armed
Forces of the Philippines. Upon the apprehension of the absentee or deserter by the
civil authorities, the post, camp, station or Unit Commander shall take immediate
steps to have the arrested absentee or deserter confined in a military installation
pending receipt of instructions regarding his disposition.

a. Any post, camp, station or Unit Commander who has

apprehended, or has in his custody, an absentee or deserter shall make this fact
known by the fastest available means of communication to The Adjutant General,

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Armed Forces of the Philippines, and shall request instructions for the disposition of
the absentee or deserter.

b. When dropped from rolls of the organization as a deserter –

see subpara 11a below.

7. PREPARATION AND DISPOSITION OF REPORTS. - The

following records and allied papers shall be prepared and completed or authenticated
as necessary, when the status of the individual is changed from AWOL to dropped
from rolls of the organization, and shall be forwarded to The Adjutant General, AFP.

a. Authenticated copy of AFP AGO Form Nr 45 (Descriptive

List of Absentees Wanted by the AFP).

b. Extract copy of Morning Report properly authenticated to

show the initial change of status to AWOL, together with the hour and date; and the
change of status from AWOL to dropped from the rolls of the organization.

c. Report on the probable reason of absence, and latest known

home address of the individual concerned, as well as any evidence of intent not to
return, to avoid hazardous duty, to shirk important service, or to avoid
demobilization.
d. Service Record of similar records in the case of commissioned
officers shall be indorsed on the next unused endorsement showing the date he was
on AWOL or have deserted from his station.

e. Authenticated copy of the EP’s Enlistment Record.

f. Filed Military 201 File on the individual including any charges
which were not finally disposed of prior to absence, together with any pre-trial
disposition which may have been taken.
g. Soldier’s Qualification Card for enlisted personnel and the
Officer’s Qualification Card (AFP AGO Form N 66-1) for officers, as the case may
be.

h. Individual clothing and equipment card for enlisted personnel

(WD AGO Form Nr 32).
i. Authenticated copy of the report of medical examination.

j. Authenticated copy of the Dental Record of the absentee.

k. Authenticated copy of the personnel’s Pay Record.

l. Disbursing Officer’s Receipt for money deposited.

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m. Authenticated copy of inventory of personal property.

8. ABSENTEE IN THE HANDS OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES WHO IS

FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES. - When information is received that an
absentee is in the hands of civil authorities and is facing criminal charges before a
civil court, the officer receiving such information shall immediately take the
following action:

a. Ascertain the identity of said absentee and the criminal

charges against him.

b. Communicate with the Commanding Officer of the absentee

in order to ascertain his proper status.

c. Notify The Adjutant General, AFP (Attn: The Provost

Marshal General) by the fastest available means.

9. RETURN OF ABSENTEES AND DESERTERS TO MILITARY

CONTROL. - Commanders of posts, camps and stations or Unit Commanders shall
take the following action upon return of absentee or deserter to military control:

a. If the absentee or deserter returns to his proper post, unit,

camp or station, the Commanding Officer concerned shall:

(1) Prepare and distribute AFP AGO Form Nr 46 (Report

of Return of Absentee from the AFP) to all persons/units who were furnished copies
of AFP AGO Form Nr 45.

(2) Advise the Chief of Staff, AFP (Attn: The Provost

Marshal General) by the fastest available means.

b. If absentee or deserter returns to military control through any

unit, post, camp or station other than his own, the Commanding Officer concerned
shall advise the Chief of Staff, AFP (Attn: The Provost Marshal General) and the
CO of the absentee or deserter by the fastest available means of communication and
shall request dispositive instructions. Upon the return of an absentee or deserter to
military control, the Commanding Officer of the post, camp or station to which the
absentee or deserter initially returned shall inquire into the individual’s physical and
mental fitness for further military service, and shall accordingly inform the Chief of
Staff, AFP (Attn: The Provost Marshal General) and the Commanding Officer
concerned of the physical and mental fitness of such individual.

c. In case military personnel had been captured and maltreated

by the enemy after which they were able to escape back to military control, they
should be referred to a military hospital to undergo thorough physical, medical, and
if need be, psychiatric examinations, to determine their fitness to serve once again

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the armed forces. After their hospitalization, they shall be assigned back to their
mother unit.

d. Upon receipt of the copy of AFP AGO Form Nr 46 (Report of

Return of Absentee from the AFP). The Provost Marshal General shall circularize
this fact by furnishing copies of this form to all persons/units who were furnished
copies of AFP AGO Form Nr 45 (Descriptive List of Absentees Wanted by the
AFP).

e. In case the unit or organization of the absentee has been

deactivated during his absence or when the post, camp or station commander to
which the absentee returned military control can not communicate with the
absentee’s Unit Commander for any reason, instructions for the disposition of the
absentee shall be requested from The Adjutant General, AFP.

10. STATUS OF ABSENTEE. –

a. An absentee shall be accounted for on the rolls of his

organization for ten (10) consecutive days counted from the initial date of his
unauthorized absence. On the eleventh day, he shall be dropped from the rolls as a
deserter.

b. An absentee shall not be dropped from the rolls of his

organization when reliable information is received prior to the tenth day of his
absence that he is in the hands of civil authorities.

c. Whenever a personnel’s status changes from AWOL or

deserter to absentee confined in the hands of the civil authorities, The Adjutant
General, AFP, will be so informed by fastest available means of communication and
a full written report relative thereto shall be submitted through usual channels.

d. An absentee who returns to military control to any unit not his

own shall be carried in the rolls of the unit as “attached unassigned” and although
entered as such, he may be confined or assigned duties by the CO of the unit
concerned.

e. If an individual is AWOL and returned to his unit in less than

ten (10) days, his Unit Commander shall determine the proper disposition of the case
in accordance with existing regulations. If trial by court-martial is indicated, charges
shall be prepared in the usual manner, and the case brought to trial without delay.

11. ERRONEOUS REPORT OF AWOL. - When an individual has been

unable to return or report because of circumstances beyond his control, and has been
erroneously reported AWOL or in desertion through no fault of his own, the
following action shall be taken:

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a. The Adjutant General, AFP, and all parties to whom copies of

AFP AGO Form Nr 45 were furnished shall be advised of such erroneous report.

b. All entries in the records pertaining to the alleged absentee

shall be clearly indicated, initiated and dated.

c. A corrected morning report entry shall be made and all written

records shall be changed accordingly.

d. Appropriate and immediate action shall be taken to reinstate

any suspended allotments and allowances which were in effect at the time of the
alleged unauthorized absence.

12. PROPERTY AND PERSONAL EFFECTS. -

a. When an individual absents himself without leave, the Unit

Commander shall cause the public property including clothing, which are the
personal responsibility of the absentee, and his personal effects to be secured. The
personal effects shall be inventoried in triplicate (Inventory of Personal Property)
and turned over to the unit supply officer for safekeeping pending return of the
individual, or for disposition in accordance with existing regulations. The ownership
of personal clothing shall be determined. Where title thereto has rightfully passed to
the absentee, such clothing shall be regarded as his personal effects and should be
handled accordingly. Where title remains in the Government, appropriate credits
shall be made on the individual’s clothing records, if the absentee is subsequently
dropped from the rolls of his organization. If no personal effects are found, a
negative report to that effect shall be prepared in duplicate.

b. For officers accountable for public property, the provisions of

Table VII, The Accounting Law, Revised Administrative Code, and the AFP
Accounting Manual shall apply.

c. Public property which has been lost by absentee shall be

charged against them in accordance with Article VIII, Title VII, The Accounting
Law, Revised Administrative Code, and the AFP Accounting Manual.

d. When records are forwarded in accordance with those

regulations, a copy of the inventory of personal effects and/or government property
shall be furnished The Adjutant General, AFP.

e. If the absentee or deserter is a money accountable officer by

virtue of his designation either as Disbursing Officer or Agent Officer both the CO,
AFP Finance Center and the CO, Major Service Finance Center in the case of Major
Service or the Area Finance Officer in the case of Area Commands shall be notified
by the fastest means of communication. Government funds left by him at his station
shall be deposited either with the office of the CO, AFP Finance Center or CO,

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Major Service Finance Center as the case maybe, under receipt, the original to be
kept by the office of the organization making the deposit and a certified true copy
thereof forwarded to The Adjutant General, AFP, together with the records of the
case referred to in para 7 hereof. Where the individual is dropped from the rolls of
the organization, and the deposit made subsequent to the date of the absentee’s
record were forwarded to The Adjutant General, AFP, receipt shall make reference
to the case and the nature of such deposit. Claims for the release or recovery of such
funds may be filed with the CO, AFP Finance Center and the CO, Major Service
Finance Center in the case of Major Service or the Area Finance Officer in the case
of Area Commands, whoever accepted the deposit. Personal funds of the absentee or
deserter may be deposited with his Commanding Officer, pending instructions as to
their disposition from higher headquarters.
13. PAY, ALLOWANCES AND ALLOTMENTS. - Whenever an
individual goes on AWOL and when an absentee or deserter returns to military
control, the personnel officer of the unit to which, the absentee belongs shall
accordingly notify the disbursing officer having custody of the military pay record
by means of Military Pay Order. The Military Pay Order shall show the hour and
date of departure and any other relevant data. The hour and date of return shall be
similarly reported.
14. MONTHLY REPORT OF ABSENTEES AND DESERTERS. –
a. A consolidated monthly report shall be submitted on
prescribed form as shown in Annex “A” hereof, showing the name and unit
assignment of absentee/deserter and the period of absence and/or desertion, and the
action taken against the offender which shall be entered in the “Remarks” column.
Such monthly report shall be submitted to The Adjutant General, AFP, not later than
the 15th day of the month following that for which the report is submitted.
b. The following shall submit the report required above for all
the units and organizations in their commands:
(1) Commanding Generals of Major Services.
(2) Commanders of Area Commands and AFPWSSUs.
15. PENAL CLAUSE. - Neglect or failure on the part of Commanders
to vigorously implement the provisions of these regulations shall render them subject
to appropriate disciplinary punishment as circumstances may warrant.
16. SUPERSESSION. - AFPR G 131-471 dated 25 July 1960 is hereby
superseded.
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE:

ARTURO T ENRILE
General, AFP
Chief of Staff
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