Marcos to PMA grads: Stand vs wrongdoing
FORT DEL PILAR, BAGUIO CITY—President Marcos on Saturday urged newly commissioned officers of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Talang Dangal” Class of 2026 to uphold integrity and never remain silent in the face of wrongdoing.
“Never lie, never cheat, never steal, and never tolerate those who do. Because silence in the face of wrongdoing is a betrayal of your values, a betrayal of your country, and a betrayal of the very principles that you have sworn to defend,” the Commander in Chief said.
“As you take your oath today, remember that your loyalty is not to any political interest, not to any individual, nor any passing ideology. Your loyalty must always remain with the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines,” Mr. Marcos said in his keynote address.
The President reminded the 207 members of the Talang Dangal Class of the PMA’s honor code before formally commissioning them as Navy ensigns and Army and Air Force second lieutenants in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Of the 207 graduates, consisting of 142 males and 65 females, 76 chose to join the Army, 69 the Navy and 62 the Air Force.
The Talang Dangal Class—short for “Tagapagtanggol ng Lahing Dakila at Marangal” (Defenders of a Noble and Dignified Race)—is headed by valedictorian 2Lt. Christine Kay Librada of Batangas, who joined the Philippine Army.
Librada, whose parents, Maribel and retired military officer Julius Librada, attended the rites, thanked the cadets’ parents, relatives and friends gathered at Borromeo Field, where graduations are traditionally held, and briefly recalled slain freshman cadet Darwin Dormitorio, whose 2019 hazing death prompted reforms within the academy.
“As officers of the Armed Forces, we now accept a greater responsibility. We will lead in uncertainty, decide under pressure, and serve something greater than ourselves,” Librada said in her valedictory speech.
“Outside the brick gate, rules may not always be visible, but honor must remain present. May we stay true to our character and grow to be honorable leaders,” she added.
Librada, from Lipa City, was the ninth female cadet to top the graduating class since 1993 and was a psychology undergraduate of De La Salle University when she entered the academy.
Families proudly displayed banners and streamers featuring their cadet graduates, while others carried portraits of loved ones who had died before seeing their sons and daughters complete PMA training.
Proud families
Among the most applauded graduates was 2Lt. Reggie Dacwag Bolinget of Baguio City, the class “goat,” or last graduate in the roster, who received loud cheers as he walked onstage to receive his diploma from Mr. Marcos.
According to Saludo, Bolinget is the son of a construction worker and a weaver from Sagada, Mountain Province.
In a video presentation shown during the ceremony, Bolinget shared that he grew up in a broken family and was raised by his mother and several aunts, who taught him perseverance.
As the President spoke of honor and integrity, parents and PMA alumni whispered among themselves about Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a member of PMA Class of 1986 and former Philippine National Police chief, who is now the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over the controversial killings of over 6,000 drug suspects.
The President did not mention Dela Rosa during his speech and PMA spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Nestor Saludo reminded journalists that the day is for the graduating cadets and not for PMA alumni.
Instead, PMA superintendent Vice Adm. Caesar Bernard Valencia described Talang Dangal (Honor Star, in Filipino) as the first PMA class exposed to digital warfare training and underwent training in artificial intelligence, data analytics, electronic and hybrid warfare and unmanned military systems to prepare them for “multi-threat, multi-domain, and technical” conflicts.
Valencia said the curriculum changes were made in response to Mr. Marcos’ directive to modernize military training for emerging forms of warfare beyond traditional land, sea and air operations.
The revised curriculum for PMA’s bachelor’s degree in management major in security studies now includes subjects addressing cyberthreats, hostile drones, malware and disinformation campaigns.
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