Two ranking officials of the Philippine Military Academy on Tuesday resigned following the death of a cadet due to hazing.
READ: ‘Hazing killers of PMA cadet must be held liable’
Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista, PMA superintendent, and Brig. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, commandant of cadets, resigned.
“Being the one responsible as the head or superintendent, I think this is the right time that I have to step down to pave the way for further investigations if [needed]. [N]obody actually pressured me… to resign,” Evangelista said.
Evangelista, PMA Class 1986, was former chief of the AFP’s Civil Relations Service before he was designated PMA superintendent last year.
Bacarro said he quit due to the principle of command responsibility.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana commended the decision of Evangelista and Bacarro to resign.
“By choosing this course of action, Lt. Gen. Evangelista and Brig. Gen. Bacarro have shown the hallmark of true leadership as espoused by the military profession and the principle of command responsibility. We wish both gentlemen the best in their future endeavors,” Lorenzana said.
Earlier, Lorenzana had ordered Evangelista to subject all first-year cadets to a thorough physical examination that would look for signs of hazing.
“We are going to deal with them to the full extent of the law,” Lorenzana said.
He said anyone with knowledge of the hazing but remained silent was just as guilty as those who carried it out.
Bacarro identified eight PMA cadets linked to the death of 4th Class Cadet Darwin Dormitorio last Tuesday.
Among them were two 3rd Class cadets—Shalimar Imperial and Felix Lumbag cited for having direct participation in the maltreatment of Dormitorio; 1st Class Axl Rey Sanupao, for encouraging the maltreatment; and 2nd Class Nickoel Termil (squad leader) for command responsibility.
Bacarro also identified two 1st Class cadets—Irvin Sayud (platoon leader) and Elbert Lucas (commanding officer), both penalized with suspension while cadet 1st Class Christian Correa (floor inspector) was meted out a first offense.
Four middle-class PMA officers were also ordered relieved from their present post, among them Maj. Rex Bolo and Capt. Jeffrey Batistiana, both tactical officers; Col. Cesar Candelaria, commanding officer and Capt. Apostol, Dormitorio’s attending physician.
The Palace welcomed the resignation of Evangelista, calling it the right step towards upholding the integrity of the PMA.
“We hope all public officials if something happened in your office and you think it’s command responsibility, don’t wait for the insinuation,” he said in a Palace briefing.
The Palace official also guaranteed that there will be no whitewash in the investigation to determine the perpetrators behind the latest hazing incidents inside the PMA.
“Justice will be rendered to those responsible for the PMA plebe’s death,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
Criminal cases were scheduled to be filed in Baguio City Monday against three suspects, two of them detained at the PMA stockade, while the other is at the holding center under tight watch.
All are believed to have direct responsibility for the death of Dormitorio, who was found unconscious on Sept. 17 in his barracks.
He was taken to Fort del Pilar Hospital but was pronounced dead an hour later.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a former police chief and a member of the PMA Class 1986, said hazing is deeply embedded in the culture of the PMA and even in “civilian universities.”
“Just imagine, there is hazing in civilian universities, what more in a military academy. These people are being trained to be warriors,” he said.
Dela Rosa again admitted he underwent hazing at the hands of upperclassmen during his time at the PMA.
He said he was once forced to gulp down “patis” (fish sauce) and was subjected to many forms of physical attacks.
He declined to offer more details for fear of being labeled pro-hazing.
“You can attack us. You can vilify us. You can condemn us, but please do not condemn our alma mater. We love PMA so much,” he said.
The former police and corrections chief also said times have changed and PMA cadets must turn to other means of instilling discipline among their underclassmen.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said PMA cadets are scholars of the state whose studies are shouldered by taxpayers to the tune of P2.9 million per graduate, much more expensive than producing a graduate from the University of the Philippines, at P507,000.
