Joseph Estrada steals show

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City — Joseph Estrada saluted Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and stole the show during the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduation rites here yesterday.

No trust account document, casino chip or expensive bottle of wine changed hands save for a diploma that President Arroyo gave to this Estrada who, unlike his presidential namesake, finished college and is now a lieutenant in the Armed Forces.

Philippine civilian and military officialdom plus the diplomatic corps roared with laughter as Cadet Joseph Jason Lumicao Estrada of Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya was called to the stage.

A visibly amused Mrs. Arroyo returned his salute and handed over a diploma to Estrada, who finished 166th in a class of 196 cadets, including 10 females and one Thai.

But some of Estrada’s classmates quickly pointed that Cadet Estrada is unlike his presidential namesake since the cadet was lucky with the number 13, the sum of the digits of his 1-6-6 ranking.

It was the first time in memory that the class topnotcher, females or "goats" were upstaged during PMA graduation rites.

The class topnotcher was Cadet Sadiri Tabutol of Ballesteros, Cagayan who also received the Presidential Saber from the President and the Air Force Saber from Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor.

Second honors went to Cadet Ryan Villar of Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte who was also given the Vice Presidential Saber by Foreign Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin and the Army Saber by Army chief Lt. Gen. Jaime de los Santos.

Also well-applauded was No. 3 Cadet Harold Pre of Maguilling, Piat, Cagayan who also finished magna cum laude aside from receiving the National Defense Saber from Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes plus the Philippine Navy Saber from Navy chief Rear Adm. Victorino Hingco.

Also graduating magna cum laude was No. 6 Cadet Ariel Torres of San Pedro, Laguna.

Aside from the two magna cum laudes, PMA Class 2001 also produced three cadets who garnered cum laude honors: No. 5 Cadet Florangel Murito of Kabangsalan, Zamboanga del Sur; No. 8 Francis Rugayen of Diliman, Quezon City and No. 10 Oswald Dira of Bayugan, Agusan del Sur.

The other topnotchers are No. 4 Rene Sevila of Bamban, Tarlac; No. 7 Kristoffer Ilarde of Pio Duran, Albay; and top female graduate No. 9 Concepcion Reano of Parañaque City.

The class "baron," Cadet Captain Jomer Hussein, was also awarded the Chief of Staff Saber by Armed Forces chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva.

The class goat, or the last in the roll of graduates, was Cadet Nasser Arrojo of Baguio City who almost lost the spot to three other tailenders.

But the graduation rites were also clouded by the death last month of one of the cadets due to internal injuries caused by hazing. Four other cadets are facing murder charges for the death.