No politicking at PMA alumni homecoming

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City , Philippines  – The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming was held here yesterday virtually free of politics save for some “welcome” tarpaulins put up along roads leading to the campus.

PMA officials said the ceremonies for some 1,764 graduates had no politician showing up to solicit support for the May 10 elections.

“(Perhaps) we were victorious in the campaign against politics at the PMA,” spokesman for the premier military training institution, Capt. Agnes Lynnette Flores said.

Flores though admitted it would have been better if the politicians would honor the event by completely refraining from any activity within PMA premises.

“We would have preferred that these posters (of politicians) were not placed. We wished that all the posters were related to the alumni homecoming. But we cannot control the candidates if they want to take advantage of the situation. This is not intended by the PMA and that is beyond our control,” she said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Victor Ibrado agreed there is nothing wrong with the posters provided they are kept outside the military school.

He also stressed that soldiers must remain apolitical. “For those in active service, they cannot support any candidate or any party. But if they have retired and they are pronouncing support to any candidate that is their right,” he said.

Posters and tarpaulins welcoming the various PMA classes, most of them prepared by their respective batch officials, were posted along the Atok Trail and the Loakan Road leading to the PMA.

Among those who put up welcome posters were Nacionalista Party presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., honorary member of Class ’77; detained rebel officer Col. Ariel Querubin, a member of batch ’79 who is running for the Senate; retired police comptroller “Euro general” Eliseo de la Paz (Class 76), nominee of a party-list group; and the Magdalo group of rebel soldiers who figured in the Oakwood mutiny in 2003 and is seeking accreditation to run as a party-list group.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, incoming chairman of the PMA Alumni Association, said “PMA cavaliers or alumni will stay in the battlefields and out of politics.”

“One topic which the PMAAA will surely tackle in my term is to ensure that the alumni will remain as soldiers of the country,” said Biazon, a graduate of PMA Class ’61.

Biazon said the no politics agreement during PMA homecomings would stay as long as he is chairman of the alumni association.

Biazon said he covered up posters of his son Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon on his car before attending the event.

Biazon also warned against adopting politicians or any personality that could be interpreted with political color.

LP standard-bearer Sen. Noynoy Aquino told The STAR that he had been invited by several PMA classes, but had declined to be adopted by any one of them.

“I don’t want to politicize (the PMA). Besides, if you accept one (class), then you have to reject the others,” he said.

But Aquino’s sisters Ballsy Cruz and Pinky Abellada were adopted by PMA Class ’80 yesterday, hours before the homecoming parade began at Borromeo Field.

Class ’80 president Chief Superintendent Vic Caragan said the adoption of Ballsy and Pinky into their class had long been “processed,” even before their brother decided to run for president.

“It is not a spur of the moment decision,” Caragan said, dispelling rumors that some of their mistahs walked out during Friday’s adoption ceremonies at the Baguio Country Club.

“It is not true,” Caragan insisted, stressing their decision to adopt the two Aquino sisters does not mean support for Senator Aquino’s presidential bid.

He said the Aquino sisters were adopted because they exemplify the virtues of the “Mapitagan” Class.

Caragan added most of their classmates worked in Malacañang during the term of the late President Corazon Aquino.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. of Class ’89 said his classmates decided against adopting any politician and will continue to do so.