AFP chief on PMA cadet recruitment halt: It's a drastic move

From GMA News Online (Oct 25, 2019): AFP chief on PMA cadet recruitment halt: It's a drastic move

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lieutenant General Noel Clement on Friday believes that halting the cadet recruitment in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) will be a "very drastic move."

"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. PMA produces the biggest bulk of the junior officers that we have," Clement said in an interview on Thursday night.

"If we stop the recruitment at PMA, our future projections and our replacement for those who retired and for our casualties will be affected," Clement added.

According to Clement, this kind of measure should be discussed first before implementing it.

Earlier, Ako Bicol party-list Representative Alfredo Garbin proposed that the military school should suspend its recruitment of cadets for at least one year to make way for an overhaul of its system.

"As things stand now, the PMA cannot assure parents of the safety of their sons and daughters at the academy because the 27 or more cases of maltreatment of cadets are clear proof there are systemic, grave, and moral flaws in the PMA system," Garbin had said.

"Suspend new cadet recruitment for just one year. During which time the AFP must overhaul the PMA of its misguided notion that hazing is necessary to mold good defenders of the people and the Constitution," he added.

Clement, for his part, pointed out that the military school is now implementing short-term measures as well as institutionalizing long-term measures to prevent maltreatment cases from happening again.

"A lot of things have changed already. PMA has implemented that in one room, plebes will be joined by their upperclassmen to prevent instances of maltreatment," Clement said.

"We are now encouraging cadets to instead of giving physical punishments in the terms of physical contact, they give more exercises to the plebes to help develop their physical profile," he added.

Recently, videos have circulated in social media showing actual hazing incidents at the military school. Six upperclassmen were responsible for the beatings doled out on the plebes.

According to PMA spokesperson Captain Cheryl Tindog, the hazing incidents took place in 2017 and in 2018.

Clement said all the incidents, including those that happened in the past, are being investigated.

"We have already identified cadets that have been involved and the appropriate cases or punishments are starting to be implemented already," Clement said.

The AFP chief has floated the idea that a third party, which will include members of the academe as well as graduates of the military school, should review the system inside the PMA.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/content/712998/afp-chief-on-pma-cadet-recruitment-halt-it-s-a-drastic-move/story/