The National Defense Act of 1935, Article IV, Section 30 states that, “There shall

be established a military training school to be named the Philippine Military

Academy, for the training of selected candidates for permanent commission in the
Regular Force.
Your honors, everyone, Good morning. Maayad ha aldaw inyo alan. We from the
affirmative believes that the government must abolish the Philippine Military
Academy.
Two points your honors.
First, after 121 years from its creation, PMA failed to effectively serve its purpose
to instruct, train and develop the cadets so that each graduate shall possess the
character, the broad and basic military skills. Since year 2000, there were 4 recorded
deaths due to hazing within the academy compound. Because of which one cannot
expect that all the PMA graduates are leaders of character. Cadets follow unique
custom known as the Fourth class System that is premised on the principle that "no
one is fit to command who has not learned to obey”. It allows several corrective
measures the upperclassmen may take to enable the plebes to meet the standards.
Yet, the assumed authority of the upperclassmen who are not yet full-fledged leaders
over the plebes is susceptible to unreasonable brutal abuses that consequently gave
the current plebes the hope to render vengeance to the future plebes when they reach
higher years. In Cudia vs. The Superintendent of the PMA, that a cadet facing
dismissal from the military academy for misconduct has constitutionally protected
private interests; hence, disciplinary proceedings conducted within the bounds of
procedural due process is a must. This PMA fourth class system resulted to
institutionalized hazing creating ruthless army not leaders of character.
Second, the reported death of Cadet Fourth Class Darwin Dormitorio and other
unrecorded deaths created fear to the parents in allowing their children to enter PMA.
Brig. Gen. Brawner Jr., admitted a number of parents have expressed their intention
to pull out their children from PMA following the death of Dormitorio due to hazing.
As early as 2002, PMA already admitted that hazing has been a stigma in the
academy. Republic Act No. 11053 defines hazing as any act that results in physical
or psychological suffering, harm, or injury inflicted on a recruit, neophyte, applicant,
or member as part of an initiation rite or practice made as a prerequisite for admission
or a requirement for continuing membership in a fraternity, sorority, or organization.
The deaths due to hazing cannot be effectively prevented by merely eliminating
certain customs in the academy without an overall restructure of the military training
system. We submit that through abolition of PMA and creation of a unified military
training university for all cadets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the
government can effectively remove the culture that was already imbedded in the
system. Create a general curriculum to eliminate the elite system by training all
interested Filipinos with no distinctions. All cadets should be trained as leaders with
opportunity to climb to higher ranks in order to encourage all interested Filipinos to
become leaders and protect our nation.

Corruption