“All right, Sir?”

COURAGE, INTEGRITY, AND LOYALTY. These are the hallmark of an officer and a gentleman, particularly a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy. And without a doubt, these are the same virtues that make for a conscientious and honest public servant.

Since its founding until today, the cadets and graduates of PMA are by far the most fortunate among our public servants because they, alone were accorded the opportunity to be schooled and trained for public service, initially in the military service, and further in civilian capacity. They have been tooled to manage and strategize. Alas, when they retire and are appointed to a civilian post, the appointments are instantly met with cries protesting the “militarization of civilian government”. But in our view, “militarization” is simply a contentious issue intended simply to draw attention to the growing misplaced loyalty and the questionable integrity of generals appointed to sensitive positions in government. The fact is, many are highly qualified, having been schooled in prestigious management schools themselves.

And the protests are not without basis. For the past 3 decades, particularly, during martial law, a number of PMAyers were seen to be the first to violate human rights, even as many were seen enriching themselves corresponding to their ranks till their retirement. Only the virtues of courage and loyalty stuck with them.

Of late, there was the Russian caper where the principal characters are supposedly distinguished PMA graduates, particularly class ’76 led by former P/Director Eliseo de la Paz. His conflicting statements from the time of his barred departure from Russia to his ‘no-show’ in the Senate after profusely professing his innocence, speaks volumes of how integrity was again lost in his consciousness as a distinguished PMAyer.

Then, there was chief PNP, P/Dir.Gen Jesus Verzosa (’76), who embarrassed his lot when he became equivocal from the time the news broke out about his Euro generals to the time he was questioned by senators last week. His inconsistent pronouncements day after day were indicative of a cover-up. It’s saddening to note that even his latest decision to have the officers responsible for the “release” of the “intelligence fund” charged in court was met with a large degree of disbelief.

But the Euro caper is only the latest national scandal involving PMAyers. PMAyers were at the helm of the regional command when the biggest shabu laboratory (La Union) in the country was busted; PMAyers among army and police generals were named in “Hello Garci” and in the jueteng senate expose; the disgraced B/Gen. Carlos Garcia (class 71) was found guilty of money-laundering at the AFP comptroller’s office, etc.

The PMA cadets and the junior officers in both PNP and AFP, many of whom are graduates of PMA, are watching from the sidelines themselves wondering – “What happened to the challenge “All right, sir?”” that reminds them that they were taught and trained not to cheat, to lie and steal?

While all’s not lost with Class 76, we join the nation in hoping that the members of Class 77 and below, all the way to today’s plebes at the PMA, will have an even stronger resolve to uphold and recommit themselves to the motto – COURAGE, INTEGRITY, and LOYALTY – as they rise to through the ranks and on to public service, as many of those who preceded them had done with honor.