Military to probe case of dismissed PMA cadet

MANILA, Philippines - The military has formed a panel that would reinvestigate the case of dismissed Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadet Aldrin Jeff Cudia, who was not allowed to graduate last week after he was accused of violating the honor code.

Maj. Gen. Crisologo Nayve, a two-star general, has been tapped to lead the investigation board that includes five members. 

Nayve is the deputy chief of staff for communication, electronics and information systems and a member of PMA class 1981.

The other members of the panel come from the Office of the Inspector-General, Provost Marshal, the Judge Advocate General and the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center.

“The special investigation board led by Maj. Gen. Crisologo will look into the issues raised by ex-cadet Cudia and his family. The special investigation board is now in Baguio to study the appeal made by the Cudia family,” Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala told reporters yesterday.

Zagala said the investigation would start even if members of the board were still awaiting the written appeal of the Cudias.

“The instruction of the President is to start the investigation on the issues raised by the Cudia family. Once it (written appeal) is submitted, it will also be studied,” he said.

Zagala said no timetable was set for the completion of the investigation.

Last February, an honor committee composed of PMA cadets from different classes found Cudia guilty of violating the honor code, a military tradition that emphasizes that cadets do not cheat, steal or lie or tolerate the same.

The committee said Cudia should be dismissed for entering a class two minutes late and lying to justify it.

The case gained publicity after Cudia’s family used social media to seek public and government support.

Cudia has asked the PMA administration and military officials to overturn his dismissal, saying the honor committee had committed “grave abuse of discretion.”

He claimed that the committee had forced a member to issue a guilty verdict, confined that member to chamber and failed to get the statement of a professor who allegedly dismissed him late from class.

The PMA Cadet Review and Appeals Board, however, decided to uphold the committee’s decision.

On the eve of the PMA graduation, Cudia’s family met with President Aquino to ask him to allow the cadet to graduate.