Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, Armed Forces of the Philip[pines spokesperson (PNA File photo)
An official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday said the military organization never tolerates maltreatment at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
This, according to Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, in the wake of reports about the death Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio at a hospital on Sept. 18 due to alleged hazing.
“Maltreatment or similar malpractices have no place in the modern, matured, and professional AFP,” Arevalo said in a media interview.
He added that Infractions of stern regulations governing it and the policies banning it will be meted with the severest penalties --- criminal, civil, and administrative.
The AFP and the PMA, he said, are pursuing all initiatives to eliminate maltreatment and other forms of abuses in the military.
"Violators are the exception in the Academy rather than the rule. And that of the erring cadets comprise the deviant behavior," he added.
He said the AFP and PMA are both enraged by incidents like these and thus reiterate their strong and unequivocal positions condemning maltreatment.
Criminal cases
Arevalo said criminal cases in relation to the death of Dormitorio will be filed against the three suspects in Baguio City this September 24.
"Two of them are now at the PMA stockade, while the other is at the holding center. All of them are under tight watch," he said.
He added that seven senior cadets are facing administrative proceedings, four are may be discharged from PMA, two others are for suspension, while another is facing penalty for Class One Offense.
"Class One is the highest category of offense and is meted the highest form of penalty in the academy which includes demerits and suspension of privileges and touring or while carrying his rifle, moving to and from the parade ground for a certain number of hours depending upon the penalty that will be meted on him. Again these penalties as I mentioned to you are based from their possible liabilities under the law and the PMA regulations," he said.
DND chief’s order
Arevalo said Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana went to the wake of Dormitorio on Sept. 21 at PMA where he also had two separate meetings, upper-class cadets and plebes.
At Monday’s sidelines of the activation ceremony of the three brand-new multi-purpose attack crafts (MPACs) and four amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs) at Philippine Navy headquarters in Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Lorenzana said he reminded all PMA cadets that failure to report any maltreatment cases means they are guilty as the perpetrators.
This includes cadets who look away or refuse to be involved who are guilty as those who are perpetrators, he added.
"So now, my orders to the (PMA) Superintendent is that all first-year (cadets) or 'plebes' are subjected to a physical examination, all of them from head to foot. Those who will be found with bruises will be questioned on who did it to them and we are going to deal with them at the full extent of the law," Lorenzana said.
Close monitoring of probe
Meanwhile, Arevalo said outgoing AFP Chief-of-Staff Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., is closely monitoring the investigation into the death of Dormitorio and the hospitalization of two other cadets for alleged hazing.
“AFP Chief General Benjamin Madrigal, Jr. is closely monitoring the developments in the thorough, no-nonsense investigation that he ordered relative to the maltreatment case (of Cadet 4Cl Dormitorio) in the PMA,” Arevalo said
Madrigal's directive, he said, gained more momentum following reports that two other PMA fourth class cadets are now confined and undergoing treatment for alleged maltreatment.
One of the cadets mentioned was admitted last September 17 while the other one was hospitalized on September 22.
"Both cadets were complaining of pain in their abdomen," he said when asked on what the initial diagnosis on the two cadets was.
"But so far these all are fourth class cadets so they are all classmates in the PMA," Arevalo said. “Both cadets are now recovering, responding to medication and are in stable condition.”
He said updates on the conditions of the two cadets will be issued as appropriate.
"For now we would like you to know that we have an officer assigned in the ward from the PMA who is monitoring the development and ensuring that the requirements and the needs of the patients and the parents are well attended. The physicians of the hospital are on a 24-hour duty monitoring and ensuring that the patients are well attended," he added.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1081259
This, according to Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, in the wake of reports about the death Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio at a hospital on Sept. 18 due to alleged hazing.
“Maltreatment or similar malpractices have no place in the modern, matured, and professional AFP,” Arevalo said in a media interview.
He added that Infractions of stern regulations governing it and the policies banning it will be meted with the severest penalties --- criminal, civil, and administrative.
The AFP and the PMA, he said, are pursuing all initiatives to eliminate maltreatment and other forms of abuses in the military.
"Violators are the exception in the Academy rather than the rule. And that of the erring cadets comprise the deviant behavior," he added.
He said the AFP and PMA are both enraged by incidents like these and thus reiterate their strong and unequivocal positions condemning maltreatment.
Criminal cases
Arevalo said criminal cases in relation to the death of Dormitorio will be filed against the three suspects in Baguio City this September 24.
"Two of them are now at the PMA stockade, while the other is at the holding center. All of them are under tight watch," he said.
He added that seven senior cadets are facing administrative proceedings, four are may be discharged from PMA, two others are for suspension, while another is facing penalty for Class One Offense.
"Class One is the highest category of offense and is meted the highest form of penalty in the academy which includes demerits and suspension of privileges and touring or while carrying his rifle, moving to and from the parade ground for a certain number of hours depending upon the penalty that will be meted on him. Again these penalties as I mentioned to you are based from their possible liabilities under the law and the PMA regulations," he said.
DND chief’s order
Arevalo said Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana went to the wake of Dormitorio on Sept. 21 at PMA where he also had two separate meetings, upper-class cadets and plebes.
At Monday’s sidelines of the activation ceremony of the three brand-new multi-purpose attack crafts (MPACs) and four amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs) at Philippine Navy headquarters in Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Lorenzana said he reminded all PMA cadets that failure to report any maltreatment cases means they are guilty as the perpetrators.
This includes cadets who look away or refuse to be involved who are guilty as those who are perpetrators, he added.
"So now, my orders to the (PMA) Superintendent is that all first-year (cadets) or 'plebes' are subjected to a physical examination, all of them from head to foot. Those who will be found with bruises will be questioned on who did it to them and we are going to deal with them at the full extent of the law," Lorenzana said.
Close monitoring of probe
Meanwhile, Arevalo said outgoing AFP Chief-of-Staff Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., is closely monitoring the investigation into the death of Dormitorio and the hospitalization of two other cadets for alleged hazing.
“AFP Chief General Benjamin Madrigal, Jr. is closely monitoring the developments in the thorough, no-nonsense investigation that he ordered relative to the maltreatment case (of Cadet 4Cl Dormitorio) in the PMA,” Arevalo said
Madrigal's directive, he said, gained more momentum following reports that two other PMA fourth class cadets are now confined and undergoing treatment for alleged maltreatment.
One of the cadets mentioned was admitted last September 17 while the other one was hospitalized on September 22.
"Both cadets were complaining of pain in their abdomen," he said when asked on what the initial diagnosis on the two cadets was.
"But so far these all are fourth class cadets so they are all classmates in the PMA," Arevalo said. “Both cadets are now recovering, responding to medication and are in stable condition.”
He said updates on the conditions of the two cadets will be issued as appropriate.
"For now we would like you to know that we have an officer assigned in the ward from the PMA who is monitoring the development and ensuring that the requirements and the needs of the patients and the parents are well attended. The physicians of the hospital are on a 24-hour duty monitoring and ensuring that the patients are well attended," he added.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1081259
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