Noy to PMA graduates: Be neutral
>> Saturday, March 19, 2016
BAGUIO CITY- President Aquino
yesterday warned new graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) to be
neutral and refrain from taking part in adventurism, like what their predecessors
did during the administration of his mother, former president Corazon Aquino,
whose term was plagued with coup attempts in the early ’90s.
The Armed Forces of the
Philippines commander-in-chief cautioned the new military officers after he was
struck by the 2016 batch’s preferred name: “Gabay-Laya” that somehow connotes
radicalism – that of guiding people to freedom.
“Bumalik naman po sa
normal ang tingin ko nang makita ko iyung totoo at kumpletong ibig sabihin ng batch
name ninyo: Gintong
Anak ng Bayan Alay ay Buhay para sa Kalayaan. Doon
po, medyo kumalma ang ating presyon (But my blood pressure returned
to normal after seeing the full meaning of your batch name),” Aquino said in
his speech at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City.
He reminded the 63 PMA
graduates about the constitutional precept of civilian supremacy over the
military, whose mandate is to protect the state and its citizens.
The chief executive
also reiterated that military forces should not be swayed into partisan
politics like when the armed forces served only one family, apparently
referring to the regime of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
He then highlighted the
ill effects of military adventurism in the light of this year’s 30th
anniversary of the bloodless people power revolt in February 1986, which
toppled the dictatorship.
Aquino made a similar
call to cadets of the Philippine National Police Academy, where he was also the
guest of honor in graduation ceremonies in Cavite Thursday.
Meanwhile, Baguio City
and nearby areas of Benguet province became a political battleground yesterday,
just like in the 2013 polls.
The Liberal Party,
represented by Aquino, and rival United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), led by Vice
President Jejomar Binay, gave food and campaigned in venues just a stone’s
throw away from each other.
Showing calm and
civility at the PMA graduation rites Sunday morning, Aquino and Binay exchanged
pleasantries and an occasional whisper while seated beside each other.
After hosting a
merienda cena with the graduating class, their families, top military and PMA
officials, Aquino met with local LP members and community leaders at the
President Fidel Valdez Ramos multi-purpose hall, where he introduced LP
presidential candidate Mar Roxas and vice presidential bet Rep. Leni Robredo.
At the nearby Baguio
Convention Center, Binay met with Gov. Nestor Fongwan, Mayor Mauricio Domogan
and former congressman Bernardo Vergara.
Earlier yesterday
morning, Roxas campaigned with his ticket at the Baguio City public market and
in La Trinidad town, where Binay also went at about the same time.
The Cordillera region
has about 900,000 voters.
– With
Artemio Dumlao
0 comments:
Post a Comment