A Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadet was reportedly excluded from this year's graduating class because he came two minutes late during a subject period, but PMA administration said this was not the case.
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| PMA graduating cadet Jeff Aldrin Cudia |
Instead, Maj Agnes Lynette Flores, chief of its public affairs office explained on Thursday that the dismissal of graduating cadet Jeff Aldrin Cudia is not simply about coming to class late, but was about breaking the Honor Code.
The Honor Code is an age-old culture in the academy that binds cadets and alumni alike. It implores them to: "not lie, cheat, steal nor tolerate among them those who do."
Cudia allegedly told a lie when he said he was late because their professor dismissed them late.
In a statement a day after news organizations broke the story on cadet Jeff Aldrin Cudia, the PMA insisted it adhered to due process when it investigated him and decided to exclude him from this year's roster of PMA graduates.
Maj. Flores said in a statement:
"Cadet Cudia’s case is not an issue about being late in class. While it started as a violation of the regulations, which is coming to class late, the findings of the preliminary investigation conducted revealed a possibility of Cdt Cudia violating the Honor Code which led to the opening of formal investigation by the Honor Committee."
When the Honors Committee, composed of cadets, finds a cadet guilty of violating the code, the cadet is asked to resign or face ostracism.
"The Honor Code is absolute and it does not distinguish between the degree of the offense committed," the PMA statement said. "Once they lied, cheated, stole or tolerated the commission of these offenses, there is only one punishment – separation."
"As the breeding ground for future leaders of the AFP, PMA will continue to uphold the tenets of the Honor Code which have been emplaced for generations. This code takes its roots within the heart and continues to live on long after each cadet graduates from the Philippine Military Academy. This binds the Cadet Corps with its alumni or the members of the long gray line," the statement added.
Cudia's family thought otherwise, and alleged that a certain PMA instructor was irked at Cudia because he was "always asking questions." The family took to social networking site Facebook to decry their disappointment on the cadet's "trivial" cause for dismissal. The cadet is supposed to graduate with honors in March.
The PMA has produced exemplary leaders in both the military and police organizations, though some went astray and were involved in corruption scandals, such as former Major General Carlos Garcia who is now in jail on charges of pocketing millions from soldiers' funds, and former PNP generals Avelino Razon and Jesus Verzosa.
In 2011, another PMA graduate, former defense secretary and retired general Angelo Reyes killed himself in 2011 following allegations he was given millions in retirement money, which local media dubbed as "pabaon" and "pasalubong."--Source: Rappler