President Arroyo is allowed by law to extend the tenure of the military chief of staff or any other officer as she deems fit, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita however said President has not decided if she plans to exercise such prerogative on outgoing Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado.

“In general principle, the President can extend the term of general officers and for that matter even the chief of staff,” he told reporters over the phone, citing there were precedents when the term of the military of chief staff was extended.

He said in January 2008, the President extended by three months the term of then military chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. supposedly to keep the momentum in national security efforts and allow his successor, Army chief Alexander Yano, to adjust with his new role.

Even late President Corazon Aquino also prolonged the term of her then military chief of staff Renato De Villa, who was supposed to retire in 1998 but served until 1992, according to Ermita.

“It’s the prerogative of the President,” Ermita said of extending the tenure of a military chief. “There is nothing wrong when a President extending the term of a general officer,” he said.

Ibrado, a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1976, is set to retire on March 10 but some lawmakers are pushing for his extension to ensure peace and orderly elections this May.