Those responsible for the horrible death of a cadet in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) must not go unpunished. They include several upperclassmen along with officials liable under the principle of command responsibility.
Young Darwin Dormitorio of Cagayan de Oro City dreamed to serve the country just like his father, a retired Army colonel and PMA alumnus.
But his dream was shattered by his executioners who perpetrated the impunity of mob culture in the academy. Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap are calling for congressional inquiry in aid of legislation, as barbaric hazing has reportedly continued in the country's premier military academy.
I agree with Reps. Rodriguez and Yap that no stone must be left unturned in the investigation of Dormitorio's cold-blooded killing, exacted through “blunt force.” Apparently, this method of torturing subjects is what they carried out when they eventually join the Armed Forces services.
It's a shame that the PMA Alumni Association (PMAAA) appears to turn a blind eye to Dormitorio's case, which cries for justice from his parents and friends.
We are hoping and prayers that the aggrieved family's search for justice would not be shattered, as well, by a cover-up or whitewash of the case.
We recognize that the PMA has produced many able military leaders. They end up in politics—getting appointed to high places in the government executive branch and getting elected to the Congress, although it has yet to produce the first PMA alumnus President of the Philippines.
It's sad to note as well that the PMA has produced quite a number of scoundrels, and turned out to be no different from notorious criminals. We don't need to name names for lack of space.
Unfortunately, too, that the same fatal hazing had allegedly claimed the life of a cadet in the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) a few months back.
It’s sad to note that the PNPA is run by some PMA alumni who are in the police service.
Anyway, the cold-blooded criminals—including the officers who are in-charge of the discipline of these cadets—must be unmasked and booted out of the PMA.