GMA tells PMA graft being weeded out

April 2, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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BAGUIO CITY President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, speaking before the graduating cadets at the elite Philippine Military Academy March 18, went all out to court the cadets, claiming that corruption is being weeded out as she dangled before the military a new set of benefits, including upgrades of hospitals and a P1-billion budget earmarked for the housing needs of soldiers and their families.

She also pledged a 10-percent increase in salary of all the military personnel, along with the claim that her government is moving to modernize the military in preparation for a modern military in a modern Philippines.

Threatened over the possibility of the still idealistic new graduates of the PMA Baghawi Class 2008 joining any form of military adventurism, the Chief Executive advised the new recruits to veer away from politics, which she said is also being demanded of them by their families and friends.

This years valedictorian, 2nd Lt. Ariel Rallos of Zamboanga city urged his classmates to uphold their mandate of protecting the people and the Constitution. We should be the best person and officer that we can be by holding on to the idealism, patriotism and values that have been placed deep in our hearts, he said.

The graduation rites of the 220-strong Baghawi class was attended by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., the major service commanders, foreign defense attach_s and local government officials.

We should be agents of positive change that would make a difference, the PMA difference,” he said. honor code still remains to
be our guiding principle. By having a deep sense of honor and integrity, one could never go wrong.”

But after Mrs. Arroyos speech and her return to The Mansion, the official presidential summer home, a group of around 30 militant students from the St. Louis University, University of Cordillera, University of Baguio and the University of the Philippines, staged a lightning rally lasting some 20 minutes outside the Mansion gate.

Shouting in chorus, Sigaw ng Kabataan, patalsikin si Gloria (The cry of the youth, oust Gloria), the students were immediately surrounded by anti-riot police, armed with truncheons and shields, and beat up the protesters, with four of them being dragged to the nearest police station.

The students claimed Mrs. Arroyo should vacate the presidency because it is obvious that she is involved in the controversial broadband deal with China.

Knowing that the military is aware of the scandals and scams rocking her government, the President told the graduating cadets that steps were being taken to end perceived corruption that has led to two coup attempts.

Mrs. Arroyo said Filipinos are being tired of the political noise, as she told the 220 graduating cadets that the people are tired of political division and despair, saying the government had invested heavily in the economy and the countrys defense forces to ensure corruption was weeded out.

The government has placed mechanisms to fix the corruption that still plagues our nation,” she told the graduates. There are clouds on the economic horizon that we must guard against,” Mrs. Arroyo said, noting that a lot needs to be done to improve the lives of the countrys poor.

The people of the Philippines are tired of the politics of division and despair. They want you, Baghawi Class, to keep our nation safe, secure and moving forward. Every Filipino wants a good job, food on the table and sound education,” Mrs Arroyo she stressed while claiming that the Baghawi class is special as it is the product of the innovations in PMA training where they are molded as combatants and as managers and partners in development.

In return, I hereby set year 2010 as the deadline for us to win the war against insurgency,” the President said, adding that to win a war, the efforts are not just confined in the battlefields but also to give ?every Filipino food on the table, job and human dignity.”

The President has allocated P1 billion as this years budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) which it shall use to win the hearts and minds of the populace in areas of conflicts.

She explained that the DND budget will be used for social-oriented programs which include the creation of more jobs for the people. The program also include the creation of more forward field medical facilities like that of Camp Bautista in Jolo.

Mrs. Arroyo exhorted the cadets to become pillars of strong economy as well as politics without corruption” because they are the products of much innovations in the curriculum of PMA”.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under Articles/Stories 

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