Honor Horror at PMA?

Honor Horror at PMA?

Aldrin Jeff Cudia with family
This blog is for the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Emmanuel Bautista, and AFP Commander-in-Chief President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to act on -- with extraordinary dispatch.

Extraordinary dispatch because if there is no action done until February 19, 2014, that is today, whatever justice that may come would be moot and moribund. 

Without Facebook, this issue could have not been raised by a woman who has no access to the mainstream media, this could have been hidden forever as one of the dark secrets of the revered military school. 

Despite the decision of the Supreme Court just announced a day before this piece is written on 19 February 2014, referring to the affirmation with modification of the online libel provision of Republic Act No. 10175, I write this post calling myself as "original author" even without knowing yet what does the Highest Court mean by "original author."

The issue here is compelling.  It is about honor. And anything that involves a controversy about honor is one of the things that moves me, online or offline.  

That is why no matter how the Supreme Court means when it speaks of "original author" as the only ones who can be punished with libel on defamatory items posted on the internet while those who just received them and reacted thereto can never by held liable, I take pride if I can be considered as the "original author" of this particular writeup.

But the truth of the matter is that I was just a receiver of the matters I am reacting now through this particular blog about what I call "Honor Horror" at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

I write about this issue on honor now chilling the PMA campus in Baguio City. I do so because I am a citizen and a taxpayer of the Philippines demanding that every centavo that I pay is spent wisely by the government.

As a citizen taxpayer, one of the obligations I demand from the government is to always put at work all its employees and to not allow anyone to just sit and wait for nothing, in freezer assignments or punishment chambers, even if these employees may have been regarded, correctly or otherwise, by superiors as violators of any code of ethics, honor or duty.

All policemen, from PO1 to the Director General, all police trainees and all cadets of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), all military men, from trainees to cadets at the PMA to the General of the Armed Forces, are paid with the taxpayers' money.  

It is a sin of malversation for anybody or a body of officials causing any of these government employees to be not doing their supposed work or duties.  Any hour of no work by any public worker means an equivalent amount of that worker's salary stolen from the citizens' general fund entrusted as "tax."

With more reason that my demand is compelling if we know that about P2 million is spent by the government for every cadet who graduates from the PMA.  Perhaps, the same is the cost in the case of PNPA and the Philippine Merchant Marine Acadamy (PMMA).

Now, let us go to the "Honor Horror" at the PMA.

Facebooker Annavee Cudia posted online an appeal to the PMA leadership to allow her brother Aldrin Jeff Cudia to take his honor as No. 2 of Class 2014 and march to the stage to get his diploma during the graduation ceremonies slated in the month of March.  No less than President P-Noy is the commencement exercises speaker.

Briefly, Annavee stated that her brother was voted unanimously by the Honor Committee of the PMA to be punished extremely, effectively preventing him from being awarded as No. 2 of Class 2014 and graduate as a new Second Lieutenant.
Aldrin Jeff Cudia

Annavee said in her blog that her brother was only hated at by a tactical officer.  The first voting of the nine-member Honor Committee was not unanimous.  The lone dissenter was replaced to get the unanimous votes to justify the punishment of "11 demerits and 13 hours of touring."  The replacement was not put in the minutes of the meeting, according to her.

Worse, she wrote, her brother is being pressured to resign and is being placed at the holding center of the PMA and that no one is allowed to visit him.  

Worst, she said that the PMA Commandant announced that Aldrin Jeff was already dismissed.  With this, on 20 February 2014 when the top graduating cadets will be named it is certain that Aldrin Jeff will be robbed of the honor that the government owes him and the People of the Philippines.

The issue they voted on was whether Aldrin Jeff violated the Honor Code of the PMA in the words he used in justifying why he was late for TWO MINUTES in a class.  

The justification made by Aldrin Jeff, according to his sister, was "nahuli ang pagdismiss ng propesor," referring to an earlier class. 

Annavee said that what happened was that after that earlier class their professor there told them to wait for some papers to be given. 

This justification was deemed as dishonesty because the Honor Committee stated that the correct justification should be "pinaghintay kami ng propesor matapos ang klase."

To my mind, this is just an imperfectness of language and an improper choice of words. There was no dishonesty there.  Anybody who would say it was dishonesty is dishonest to the truth, dishonest to language. 

What is important though is the substance of what the speaker meant.  

At any rate, Aldrin Jeff should have been asked first what did he mean by "nahuli ang pagdismiss ng propesor."

No one can convey the message with more passion than his sister so that I am posting below the original message written by Annavee.

PANAWAGAN SA PMA NA HUWAG IPAGKAIT ANG HONOR AT GRADUATION KAY CADET CUDIA 

Balita ko po 2 MILLION PESOS ang ginagastos ng gobyerno para sa mga kadete ng PMA pero bakit basta-basta na lang sila pinapa-alis? 

Ang kapatid ko ay si Aldrin Jeff Cudia na NUMBER 2 sa Class 2014, top sa Navy Class, ang Deputy Baron. Tiniis ang pahirap sa PMA upang makatapos ng pag-aaral ngunit ngayon dahil lamang nahuli ng DALAWANG MINUTO sa isang klase ay hindi siya papayagang mag-graduate?

Ang pamilya namin ay taga Arayat, Pampanga, maralita lamang kami ngunit iginapang ng aking magulang ang aming pag-aaral. Napakatindi ng hirap ng buhay kolehiyo naming apat na magkakapatid.

Kami po yung mga estudyante na pumapasok sa eskwelahan na walang laman ang tiyan pero pumapasok pa din. Dahil gusto namin matuto at makapagtapos.

Kami po yung bente pesos lang ang baon (dose pesos na pamasahe, otso pesos pambili ng kendi. Wag na magpaxerox, isulat na lang ng buo ang pahina.).

Kami po ung rumaraket magkapera lang pansuporta sa pa xerox at project na kelangan sa eskwelahan. Tubig lang baon ni pambili ng biskwit eh wala.

Pero nakatapos na po ang dalawa sa amin, naging dean's lister pa at nakapasa sa board exam. Salamat sa magulang namin na ginapang kami, binenta ang mga alahas at lupa ultimo wedding ring at college ring makapagtapos lamang kami.

Salamat sa mga taong nagpautang sa amin at sa Diyos Ama na binigyan kmi ng MATIBAY NA PAGPAPAHALAGA SA EDUKASYON.

Si Aldrin Jeff na aking kapatid ay unang pumasok sa PUP bilang iskolar ng BS Accountancy. Alam nyo po ba na kahit P666 lang ang tution fee ni Aldrin sa PUP ay muntikan na syang matigil sa pagaaral? Nilalakad nya lang ang PUP mula sa tinutuluyan namin sa Balic-Balic, Sampaloc.

Dahil pangarap ni Aldrin Jeff ang magsilbi sa bayan bilang sundalo (kagaya ng aming tatay) siya ay pumasok sa PMA. Nabawasan na rin ang pabigat sa aking magulang dahil libre duon,
Dinanas ni Aldrin ang lahat ng pahirap. Sa pagsikikap nya sa pag-aaaral ay nasira ang kanyang mga mata at kailangan manalamin. Sabi ko sa kanya, kung ayaw na nya sabihin nya lang. Ang sagot nya ay ganito : "Ate, ok naman ako dito. May sarili akong kama na malambot." Natutulog lang kasi sya sa upuan na mahaba buong buhay nya sa kolehiyo. Nais din niyang makatapos sa PMA upang maipagamot ang libre ang nanay namin sa VLuna Hospital.

Pinagsabihan ko siya na huwag na siya magsikap na maging top student dahil alam kong mapapansin siya at maaaring pag-initan.Pero hindi mapigilan ang ang pagmamahal nya sa pag aaral kaya siya ay dapat magtapos bilang TOP 2 sa class 2014 ng PMA.

Kilala siyang matulungin. Hindi agad agad umuuwi kapag bakasyon upang tulungan ang iba na kailangan mag-removals. Lima na sa kanyang propesor ang nagsasabi na isa siya sa mga kakaunting huwaran sa academic excellence. Magaling pa siya magsulat. Wala silang masasabing pandaraya na kanyang ginawa.

Ngayon ay isang buwan na syang nakakulong sa holding center... Pinapag resign na sya... Pinapaalis... Pero ayaw nya dahil NILALABAN nya ANG TAMA, DANGAL AT PRINSIPYO NYA. Daig pa nya si Napoles. Bawal ang bisita kahit kadete o pati chaplain ng PMA. Inanunsiyo na ng kanilang Commandant na dismissed na siya. At ito ay dahil lamang NAHULI SIYA NG 2 MINUTO SA KLASE.

Nang nangyari ito, binigyan siya ng 11 demerits at 13 hours of touring at ginawa niya ito. Nilapitan ng kapatid ko ang kanyang tactical officer upang mag-appeal dahil ito ay karapatan nila at dahil hindi naman niya kasalanan ang nangyari. Sinabihan kasi siya at iba pang kadete ng kanilang propesor na maghintay sandali at may ibibigay na papel. Nang tinanong si Aldrin bakit siya nahuli, sabi niya sila ay nahuli ng pagdismiss ang propesor nila.

Sabi ng Honor Committee ay kasinungalingan daw yun at dapat daw ay sinabi niya "pinahintay kami ng propesor pagkatapos ng klase." Hindi ba pareho lang naman yun?

Dahil ang kasinungalingan daw ay violation ng honor code, dismissal agad ang recommendation ng Honor Committee. Hindi nila pinansin ang written affidavit ng propesor na nagsasabi na tama ang sabi ni Aldrin Jeff na nahuli ang pagdismiss sa kanila. At bakit naman magsisinungaling ang kapatid ko at gagawa ng bagay na ikahahadlang ng kanyang graduation at makamtan ang matangal na niyang pangarap na magsilbi sa bayan bilang sundalo?

Kung sinasabi nyo na nagsisinungaling ang kapatid ko, pati ba yung PROPESOR nila nagsabi na tama ang sabi ni Aldrin ay nagsisinungaling din? Siya ay pinatawan ng 13 oras ng touring at 11 demerits dahil sa late samantalang yung ibang kadete na nahuli din sa klase ay 8 demerits at 8 hours of touring lang. Swerte nila dahil nakita nila ang ginawa kay Aldrin kaya isinulat nila ang gustong marinig ng Honor Committee.

Kasalanan ba ng kapatid ko na hindi sya articulate sa pagpapaliwanag at hindi niya nahulaan ang gustong marinig ng Honor Committee?

Napag-initan si Aldrin ng kanyang tactical officer kaya naging makitid ang kanyang pag-iisip sa pagpataw ng kaparusahan. Siya lang ang titser na nagbigay ng mababang grado sa kapatid ko dahil matanong siya sa klase. Bata pa lamang si Aldrin ay palatanong na at palabasa pa. Masama na po pala ang magtanong. Ang masaklap ay HINDI SYA KINAUSAP ng mga matataas na opisyal sa PMA at nakinig lamang sa tactical officer at sa Honor Committee.

Isa pang di namin MATANGGAP, bakit ayaw nyong buksan muli ang kaso? Ano ang tinatakpan nyo? Bakit minamadali nyong paalisin ang kapatid ko kahit nalaman na hindi pala unanimous ang boto ng Honor Committee? Hindi ba nasa honor code na dapat ay lahat boboto ng guilty upang magpataw ng verdict na dismissal?

Ang nangyari pala sa botohan ay may isang botong tumutol. Ang ginawa ay pinagkaisahan siya para mapilitan nyang palitan ang boto. At hindi ito sinulat sa minutes ng meeting at sinabing 9-0 ang botohan.

Nasa Academy pa lang corrupt na at marunong nang magdagdag-bawas!

Lahat ng nakabasa ng APPEAL ng kapatid ko, tingin nila TAMA AT WALANG GINAWA ANG KAPATID KO. Di ba nga kasi ang turo nyo ay SUMUNOD SA UTOS NG NAKAKATAAS? Hindi ba nakakataas ung propesor na nagutos sa kanya?

BUKAS, iaannounce na ang mga TOP 10 NG pma. Sa February 20, simula na ng OJT nila. Pero lahat ng yon at ang mga pinaghirapan nya ng 4 na taon mawawala ng parang bula.

ASAN NA ANG TUWID NA LANDAS NI PNOY? Sya pa naman ang speaker nyo sa pagtatapos. Kung nasa PMA pa lang ay baluktot na ang hustisiya at hinahayaan ang kasinungalingan, paano pa kung nasa labas na ang mga PMA graduates? Nasaan ang dangal dito?

Lalaban kami... Fight the good fight of faith... Nagpapalakas sa amin ang MADAMING TAONG tumutulong at nagdadasal para samin. Kung matalo man kami, madaming tao na ang nakakaalam ng nangyari.

Kung gayon, hindi lang ang kinabukasan ng kapatid at pamilya ko ang NINAKAW NYO. Pati pagpapagamot ng NANAY KO!

Naniniwala po ako sa hustisya. Kung di man namin makuha sa INYO yun, pag dating ng panahon na haharap na tayo sa LUMIKHA, Sana masabi nyo pa rin na TAMA ANG GINAWA NYO.

Sa DIYOS na ang hustisya.

Makarating sana po toh sa kinauukulan ng PMA, AFP at sa buong bayan.

Saloobin ko po ito bilang pamilya ni Aldrin.
Salamat po.

Lubos na gumagalang;
Annavee Cudia

The screenshot photo of the part of the wall of Annavee (a.k.a. Avee Cudia) is pasted below for authenticity of the post above attributed to her:

A screenshot from the Facebook wall of Anvee Cudia



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