The suspension of the recruitment of new cadets for the Philippine Military Academy will greatly affect the replacement of retiring officers and troops who become casualties in the line of duty, the head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Friday.
“If we stop the recruitment of cadets for the PMA, it’s going to affect the profile of the armed forces in as far as all our officers are concerned,” Lt. Gen. Noel Clement said in a message to reporters.
“PMA produces the biggest bulk of the junior officers that we have. If we stop the recruitment at the PMA, our future projections and our replacement for those who retire and for our casualties will be affected.”
Clement was reacting to Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr.’s call to suspend the PMA’s recruitment for a year after reports said at least 27 more cases of alleged maltreatment are being investigated at the academy.
Garbin said the alleged maltreatment cases were clear proof that “systemic, grave and moral flaws” existed in the institution.
“Halting the recruitment of PMA is a very drastic move. We have to sit down and think about all of these measures before we even consider implementing them,” Clement said.
He said he had instructed PMA Supt. Rear Adm. Allan Cusi to consider a third party”•from the academe or former graduates of the PMA”•for an outsider’s perspective and to determine how to resolve the maltreatment issue.
“What we are trying to do right now is to put in short-term measures, as well as institutionalize long-term measures to prevent all of these from happening again,” Clement said.
He said the incidents of maltreatment, like any other violations in the PMA, were being addressed.
“Every time there are violations, those are being addressed and the appropriate punishments are being undertaken,” Clement said.
The PMA made it to the headlines on Sept. 18 after the death of Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio and the hospitalization of several others.
The incident caused the voluntary resignation of two of the PMA’s highest-ranking officers and the charging of several tactical officers.