NOY TO PMA GRADS: SHUN BRIBERY,
SELF-INTERESTS / CARPENTER'S SON TOP GRAD
[PHOTO - President Aquino, assisted by Philippine Military
Academy (PMA) Superintendent M/Gen. Nonato Peralta, Jr., presents the
Presidential Saber Award and diploma to Cadet First Class Tom Puertollano for
topping the "Bagwis" Class of 2012 during the 107th PMA Commencement Exercises
at the PMA grounds in Fort del Pilar, Baguio City on Sunday. Photo by Exequiel Supera, Malacañang Photo]
MANILA,
MARCH 19, 2012 (abs-cbn) By Ira
Pedrasa - Is PNoy being coy on Corona trial?
President Benigno Aquino III told the new graduates of the Philippine
Military Academy to shun bribery and self-interests once they step out of the
institution.
In a speech before the Class Bagwis of 2012, Aquino said soldiers will not be
merely fighting against armed bandits, but also against corruption.
He said they will not be able to get anything out of amassing wealth and
properties, but a lifetime questioning from the Filipino people against their
integrity and sincerity.
"Aanhin ang bahay na magarbo kung ang kapalit nito ay pagbusisi at masamang
pagtingin ng tao sa habambuhay…Hahakot ka ng milyon-milyon, kaya itatago mo lang
ito," he said.
He noted, however, that the government was able to discover some of these
alleged hidden wealth in what could be a jab against his foes, including Chief
Justice Renato Corona. "Pero ang ibang nagtago ay naiungkat na rin natin," he
said.
He said there will be no battle won if not backed by the Filipino people.
He said he will not anymore try to understand the thinking of these people.
"Huwag nang subukang unawain ang hind nauunawaan," he said.
Malacanang earlier said it will not anymore comment on the impeachment trial
of Corona.
Aquino told the PMA graduates to look back on the day of their graduation
whenever temptation kicks in.
"Would you be willing to accept an envelope when you see a truck full of
logs, when there is clearly a ban?" he asked them, adding that they should know
the impact of this to the environment and the subsequent tragedies, judging from
the recent catastrophes that hit the country.
He said soldiers know the repercussions of their every action. "Bilang
kalasag, kayo ang unang dapat takbuhan ng taumbayan," the President said.
FROM JOURNAL ONLINE
Aquino leads PMA graduation rites Published :
Sunday, March 18, 2012 00:00 Article Views : 188 Written by : Efren Montano
[PHOTO - President Benigno S. Aquino III is accorded full military
honors as he troops the line as part of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)
graduation rites at Fort del Pilar, Baguio City, Sunday, March 18, 2012. (Toots Soberano and Rizaldy Comanda)]
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III will lead today's graduation rites of the 2012
"Bagwis" Class of the Philippine Military Academy during his visit to the PMA
Academy at Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City.
The President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, will commission 187 first-class cadets of the PMA as second
lieutenants and ensigns of the AFP during the Baguio City PMA graduation rites
to be staged at the Borromeo Field .
Cadet First Class Tom V. Puertollano, 21, of Lipa, Batangas, who will join
the Army, will receive 11 major awards, including the Presidential Saber and
presidential academic excellence award.
Puertollano's awards include JUSMAG award, Australian Defense Award,
Philippine Army Saver, Academic Group Award, Humanities Plaque, Social Sciences
Plaque, Management Plaque, Army Professional Course Plaque, and Spanish Armed
Forces Award.
The top 10 graduating cadets are First Class Cadets Jose Mari V. Cabrera,
from Cebu City, second place; Lucien Jay Gumban Caima, from Fort Bonifacio
Taguig City, third place; Angeline Osorio Esmeria, from Taguig City, fourth
place; Jethro C. Olavidez from Zamboanga Sibugay, fifth place; and Aron Lessler
Q. Regimen, from Tanawan City, Batangas, sixth place.
Other top graduates are Dyan Karl T. Cabigas, from Caloocan City, seventh
place; Fel Balambao Saguin, from Zamboanga del Sur, eighth place; Rone Jo O.
Manganaan from Rosales, Pangasinan, ninth place; and Christopher C. Juan, from
Tagum City, Davao del Norte, 10th place.
Of the 187 graduates, 91 males and 11 females will join the Army, 41 males
and seven females will join the Navy; and 36 males and one female will join the
Air Force.
FROM THE BUSINESS MIRROR.PH
Aquino to PMA grads: Practice over; start protecting the
people Sunday, 18 March 2012 21:39 Mia M. Gonzalez / Reporter
[PHOTO - In Photo: Members of the "Bagwis" 2012 Graduating Class of the
Philippine Military Academy toss their shaku after the graduation ceremonies on
Sunday at the academy in Fort del Pilar, Baguio City. (Mauricio Victa)]
FORT DEL PILAR—President Aquino on Sunday ordered the 2012 graduates of the
Philippine Military Academy to repay the people by being "protectors of the
state" by not only fighting rebels and lawless elements but also the temptation
to yield in to corruption.
The President gave the directive at the graduation ceremony of PMA Bagwis
Class of 2012 in Fort del Pilar in Baguio City.
"After the rigorous mental and physical challenges that you had successfully
passed, don't be surprised if I tell you: Congratulations, your four-year
vacation in Fort del Pilar is over. Practice is over; you will begin to face the
true test of your chosen field," he said.
The President said the new military officers would find themselves in a
"crossroads" and the path they choose to take would be a test of their being a
solider, Filipino, and ultimately, their humanity.
"Outside Fort del Pilar, you will not only have to fight armed groups in the
mountains or lawless elements in the city. The temptation of corruption is
there," he said.
The President said some of them might be assigned to a remote area where
illegal loggers thrive and may be tempted to close their eyes to the practice in
exchange for money.
"Will you accept the envelope and look away while they push logs toward the
river? You are aware of the damage wreaked by huge logs plowing through bridges
and homes, killing our countrymen. Can you say, 'I cannot accept that because my
temporary gain would mean the long-term suffering of others?'" he said.
The President reminded them that "as protectors of the state, people should
run to you first for protection" and "if they feel that they cannot run to you
and would not get anything if they seek help from you, they would turn to those
who are pretending to be saviors."
"But if you do your duty, the people would become your most trusted allies.
Never forget that in any battle, those that the people side with would always
prevail," he said.
The President said that the Commander in Chief's conferment of the
Presidential Saber to the PMA class valedictorian every year was symbolic of the
"real source of power"—from the President, who is a civilian, to a man in
uniform.
"We derive our strength from our bosses, the Filipino people," he said.
While further discussing corruption based on a conversation he had with his
late mother, President Corazon C. Aquino—centered on what corrupt officials get
out of stealing from the people—Mr. Aquino seemingly alluded to Chief Justice
Renato Corona.
"When you steal, you have to think of where to hide it. You won't be at peace
because you fear that what you stole would be stolen from you. What is the use
of a fancy home when you face a lifetime of public scrutiny and bad reputation?
You rake in millions of pesos that you can't spend because it might put you in
jail, so you just hide it."
He said the administration has "uncovered" some of this so-called hidden
wealth, but did not mention anyone.
The President said that in response, Mrs. Aquino just told that people who
choose to do these illegal acts couldn't be understood because they "think
differently" so it's best not to pay attention to them.
Mr. Aquino also assured the junior officers that his administration has been
implementing reforms in the military and cited, among other things, its housing
program for the military and the police.
He said the government has built 21,800 houses for soldiers and policemen in
Luzon, and an additional 31,200 houses for the second phase of the program,
which will eventually cover those in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The President said that it took previous administrations 15 years for the
Armed Forces Modernization Program to reach a fund of P33 billion, but under his
watch, the program received P28 billion in just 18 months.
After the program the President hosted merienda cena for PMA Class Bagwis at
The Mansion.
FROM THE INQUIRER
Carpenter's son from Batangas is PMA's No. 1 By
Frank Cimatu, Vincent Cabreza Inquirer Northern Luzon
[PHOTO - CLASS OF 2012 The top 10 graduates of PMA Class 2012, led by
Tom Puertollano, pose for photographers at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City on
Monday. They are (from left) Rone Jo Manganaan (9), Fel Saguin (8), Jethro
Olavidez (5), Jose Mari Cabrera (2), Puertollano (1), Lucien Jay Caiman (3),
Aron Lessler Regimen (6), Dyan Karl Cabigas (7), Christopher Juan (10) and at
center is Angeline Esmeria (4). EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER
NORTHERN LUZON]
FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City—A carpenter's son from Batangas province is
leading this year's graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), a class
that academy officials say will never stage a coup against any leader of the
country.
Cadet First Class Tom Puertollano, 21, of Lipa City, ranked first among the
187 members of the PMA "Bagwis" Class of 2012 and will be joining the Philippine
Army. He will receive the Presidential Saber from President BenignoAquino III on
March 18.
When asked what he planned to say to the President on Sunday's graduation
ceremony, Puertollano said he would assure him the loyalty of his class.
During the presentation of the top graduates on Monday, Major General Nonato
Alfredo Peralta, PMA superintendent, said the Bagwis class members had undergone
the toughest ethics reform programs to be imposed by the academy in recent
years.
"This class will never stage a coup d'etat," Peralta said in Filipino. "They
know what is right."
He said that cadets had also been trained to be diplomatic and "can hold
their own in conversations with anyone, even the New People's Army."
He said the class was mentored at a period when the Senate conducted
inquiries into alleged military corruption. Academy officials, he said, also
held a dialogue with the class when reports focused on new coup rumors targeting
Mr. Aquino.
Top graduates
[PHOTO - PROUDEST MOMENTS: Cadet First Class-now-2nd Lt. Tom
Puertollano, who topped 187 graduates of PMA 'Bagwis (Bagong Iisang Lakas)'
Class of 2012, makes his father Mario proud. (Toots Soberano
and Rizaldy Comanda)
The other top graduates are Cadets First Class Jose Mari Cabrera of Cebu
City, second; Lucien Jay Caiman of Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, third; Jethro
Olavidez of Zamboanga Sibugay, fifth, and the PMA Athlete of the Year; Aron
Lessler Regimen of Tanauan, Batangas, sixth; Dyan Karl Cabigas of Caloocan City,
seventh; Fel Saguin of Zamboanga del Sur, eighth; Rone Jo
Manganaan of Rosales, Pangasinan, ninth; and Christopher Juan of Tagum City,
10th.
The only woman in the Top 10 is Cadet First Class Angeline Esmeria of Taguig
City, who placed fourth and who described her achievement as surviving cadet
life as a plus-sized woman. The class has 19 women members.
Cadet First Class Mark Anthony Tito is the class baron, entitling him to the
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Saber.
Colonel Carlos Quita, PMA commandant of cadets, said 36 male cadets and a
female cadet would be commissioned second lieutenants of the Philippine Air
Force, while 41 male cadets and seven female cadets will be commissioned ensigns
of the Philippine Navy.
Mr. Aquino will commission 91 male cadets, 11 female cadets and a cadet who
graduated from the Australian Defense Force Academy as second lieutenants of the
Philippine Army.
Puertollano said he was dedicating his achievements to his late mother,
Barbara, an eatery helper, who died of pancreatitis in August last year.
"She will witness [my graduation on Sunday] even if she is not here
physically," Puertollano said. Mario, his father, works as a carpenter in Tambo
village in Lipa City.
"[My parents] were the ones who did everything [they could to make sure I end
up] where I am now," he said.
When the Philippine Daily Inquirer contacted his father, Mario, at the
family's unfinished house at Phase 5, St. Joseph Subdivision, Tambo village,
Lipa City, he said he had expected his son to become class valedictorian but was
still not convinced he topped the class.
The 53-year-old carpenter said he wanted to be surprised when he and his
children attend the graduation rites.
Puertollano completed his elementary and high school education at Fernando
Air Base in Lipa.
The third in a family of four, Puertollano said he wanted to be a cadet so
much to help his parents. But he was disqualified the first time he took the PMA
entrance examination because he was under age.
He pursued electrical engineering at Batangas State University, making it to
the dean's list, before he decided to apply as cadet in the PMA for the second
time.
Puertollano wears correctional glasses, but he is a certified sharpshooter
and an expert in handling an M-16 rifle.
He initially aspired to join the Air Force, but he changed his mind after
undergoing field immersion exercises during the course of his cadet training
program.
"I prefer a direct engagement with the people," he said.
Puertollano will become the first recipient of the Spanish Armed Forces Award
for being the best in humanities. Together with Cabrera and Caiman, he will go
to the United States for additional studies after graduation.
Esmeria introduced herself at Monday's news conference as a cadet who
survived the ups and downs of cadet life despite her heavy build.
Her teachers said she entered the academy weighing 176 pounds but will leave
it weighing 145.5, losing weight due to the physical nature of academy life.
Only plump child
The third child in a brood of eight, Esmeria said she was the only plump
child in the family. After pursuing two years in electrical engineering at
Technological University of the Philippines, she passed the PMA examination.
Her self-esteem woes added to the various challenges faced by female cadets,
Esmeria said, but exercises and constant physical activities kept her focused
and determined.
She said having Cadet First Class Zeporah Gabino Dalang of Tinoc, Ifugao
province, as her bunk mate helped her work on her weight. Dalang is Bagwis'
"Class Tarzan," the recipient of the Athletic Saber.
Esmeria said her favorite food is chicken, a staple of the academy's daily
meat and vegetable meals.
Woodland princess
She also won PMA acclaim for playing a woodland princess in last year's "100
Nites Show," an annual variety show in the academy, where she was forced to wear
a gown.
"I could not stand beside three other cadets who played the other princesses
because they were sexy so I had to find a new role for myself," she said.
Esmeria wowed the crowd as the comic foil.
Bagwis is Filipino for wings, but Puertollano said the class name stood for
"Bagong Kawal na may Iisang Lakas."
He said the class members wanted to call themselves the new soldiers, and
their aspiration guided their performances from the time they were plebes, or
fourth class cadets.
Peralta said the cadets' teachers have been upfront with the class about the
academy's goal to dissociate PMA from issues of hazing and maltreatment and from
coup d'etat and military adventurism.
"They were here when PMA was reshaping their culture. We wanted to show them
there are other ways of showing loyalty and sharpening brotherhood bonds.
Maltreatment was mistakenly used to cement friendships," he said.
Peralta said Bagwis Class members were subjected to and became responsible
for a reformed Honor Code system and a stricter cadet conduct policy board,
which are administered by the corps of cadets.
"We made sure the cadets disciplined themselves," he said. With a report from Marrah Erika Lesaba, Inquirer Southern Luzon
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
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