Boxing bout at PMA turns tragic; hazing ruled out in cadet's death

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City, Philippines – A supposed boxing bout during the Philippine Military Academy’s yearly intramurals turned tragic over the weekend.

The PMA officially admitted that death of Second Classman Anthony Pastores, a member of Class 2012, died on Saturday morning at the St. Louis University Hospital from acute hemorrhage.

Army Captain Lynnette Flores, PMA spokesperson, said Pastores was found lying near the women’s toilet at the covered court of the academy after his boxing bout Thursday afternoon.

He was immediately rushed to the PMA Hospital then transferred to the St. Louis University Hospital.

Flores said they still have no conclusive statement as to the cause of his death since no autopsy was conducted on Pastores. “His parents decided against having the autopsy done to their son,” the PMA spokesperson said.

Accordingly, Pastores’ parents who flew in from Davao City arrived in the hospital just a few minutes before the second classman died.

Pastores was brought home to Davao and will be buried tomorrow, Flores said.

The military leadership yesterday ruled out hazing in the death of one of its senior cadets whose body was initially found slumped near the women’s comfort room inside the Academy’s covered court Thursday afternoon.

“As a third year, Cadet 2nd Class Pastores is already considered a senior in the Academy and nobody would dare touch him anymore,” Lt. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos said while maintaining that hazing is no longer allowed inside the country’s premiere military school.

On Thursday, Pastores, a boxer, had a scheduled three-round boxing bout with another cadet boxer at about 4:45 p.m. as part of the Academy’s intramurals.

But on the second round of the match, the fight was stopped as both fighters were already tired. An hour later, on his way out of the PMA’s covered court, Pastores apparently collapsed near the women’s comfort room.