PMA honor code review pressed

BAGUIO. Former Philippine Military Academy superintendent Lieutenant General Ronnie Evangelista. (Lauren Alimondo)
BAGUIO. Former Philippine Military Academy superintendent Lieutenant General Ronnie Evangelista. (Lauren Alimondo)

FORT DEL PILAR -- Lieutenant General Ronnie Evangelista said the most drastic the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) could possibly do as an intervention for maltreatment has something to do with honor code for cadets to notify cases of maltreatment.

"We can use honor system. We can do direct questioning to ferry out violations of maltreatment because we cannot anymore consider maltreatment as a mere violation of regulation but rather, it is in violation of anti-hazing law," said Evangelista on Tuesday, September 24, after resigning as the academy's superintendent.

On the demise of Cadet Fourth Class Darwin Dormitorio, 20, Evangelista said the PMA has implemented extensive measures to guarantee the health of every cadet, especially the condition and overall well-being of fourth class cadets.

He said the military academy also initiated a series of reviews to evaluate the internal healthcare systems, leadership behaviors and the training culture that will eradicate any possibility for maltreatment to ever happen again.

The PMA official website states that Honor system is an important means of developing character. The system presupposes clean thinking and honest dealing. Both Honor System and Honor Code are instruments utilized for training in the military academy.

"We can use now the honor system to carry out violations of maltreatment. Unlike as practiced, we cannot carry out honor system to carry out violations. We ask them direct question they have to answer directly when it comes to maltreatment that is I think that is the most effective intervention that we are going to do," he said.

The honor code also tells cadets "will not lie, cheat, steal."

Evangelista said in order to prevent maltreatment, the honor system obliges cadets to report instances of maltreatment.

The last time a maltreatment case occurred was 18 years ago.

Evangelista resigned together with Brigadier General Vicente Bacarro, commandant of cadets. He said nobody pressured him to resign as a virtue of command responsibility.

For those who took the examination, Evangelista's message was for them "to pursue their dream."

"PMA remain pasture of leadership," he said.

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