Saturday, July 03, 2004 AFP head: End maltreatment discipline in PMA By Jane Cadalig
BAGUIO CITY -- The Philippine Military Academy and members of the Cadet Corps should be sincere in "rejecting maltreatment as a means of instilling discipline."
AFP chief of staff Gen. Narciso Abaya made the call during Friday's incorporation of some 286 fresh and returning cadets, saying that for PMA and the Cadet Corps to instill the correct ethical mindset in cadets, negative practices should be weeded out.
These negative practices, when not addressed, may lead to the formation of warped values among the country's future military officers.
Abaya stressed the need to end maltreatment, particularly hazing, as a way of disciplining the cadets.
"I once again reiterate my guidance to the Corps to reject maltreatment as a means of instilling discipline. I hope that the second class cadets now, whom I addressed during their recognition rites last year, will continue to abide by the pledge to once and for all end this menace."
He also stressed the importance of the cadet's steadfast adherence to the Honor Code, adding "the character and moral values of the AFP Officer Corps are the engines that shall propel the continuing pursuit of reforms in our organization."
Abaya added he deems it necessary to single out the practice of obtaining personal favors under the guise of followership and military obedience in a subordinate as an aberration of military ethics.
"Shabbity, as it has come to be known, has no place in cadet training and the officer development process. Let us stop the use of a euphemism to downgrade the practice for what it really is, extortion through the willful abuse of position or rank, or simply corruption. Shabbity is extortion to the highest degree," he stressed.
"With this and through proper indoctrination, we will instill the correct ethical mindset in our cadets, and further reduce the gray areas that may be used as convenient technicalities to circumvent the code and moral standards."
He added that the PMA must continually strive to increase the number of graduates yearly without sacrificing quality and fitness.
As such, he commended the efforts of PMA authorities for implementing mechanisms and safety nets to increase the retention rate of cadets. He said it is cheaper for government to give back subjects to cadets rather than dismissing them outright.
"Mentors accept that cadets sometimes will fail on their journey to become an officer, but what is not acceptable is for the institution to allow cadets to tolerate such failure as an end-state," Abaya said.
He said the main objective is neither the completion of a module nor the preservation of class strength, but rather to instill in the cadet the determination to overcome obstacles by providing opportunities for each one to gain the personal and professional confidence associated with the completion of a tough military training.
Abaya added the responsibility for a cadet to make the grade does not lie solely on the cadet but also on the mentors who provide the motivational leadership and atmosphere conducive to learning.
"In fact, I am more inclined to think that it is the ego-centered view that refuses to be liberated from old school practices that has contributed to the development of cadets with parochial views, detached from the realities that they will eventually have to face as AFP officers and modern military professionals," he said.
From the original 303 members of PMA class 2008, a total of 286 fourth class cadets made it to the incorporation activity after three months of rigid training. Seventeen of them failed to hurdle the training.
Marines Major Edgard Arevalo, PMA spokesperson, said the low attrition rate can be attributed to proper planning, implementation, and supervision by tactical officers and medical specialists of the cadet's training. "There was close monitoring of the performance, morale, and general health of the plebes, which includes proper diet and hygiene."
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