Ping to PMA cadets: Be righteous even if nobody is looking

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City, Philippines – Rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson yesterday urged cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) to do the right thing “even if nobody is looking” and avoid succumbing to temptation even if some of their upper classmen have abandoned their ideals.

Lacson said idealists who are still “very much armed with the academy virtues” would come face-to-face with practically everything that is opposite of what they were taught, like corruption, treachery and cowardice.

“When the young graduates encounter in their fields of assignment some upperclassmen who have already succumbed to the temptations of misplaced values or have countenance such commissions, the effects could be very frustrating if not disastrous,” Lacson said during the PMA alumni homecoming here.

“There is no better feeling than one of self respect, dignity and pride that our beloved alma mater so arduously taught us for the four most difficult yet most memorable years of our lives. Let us not squander it,” he added.

Lacson was the guest of honor and speaker of the PMA alumni homecoming, which was attended by about 4,000 graduates and visitors. He is a member of the PMA “Matatag” (resilient) class of 1971.

Lacson said the exit from the gates of Fort del Pilar, where PMA is located, must never give cadets “the false sentiment of freedom from the bounds of the honor system.”

“We do not wait to be challenged by another cavalier, for the real test is a challenge to ourselves, both at the start and at the end of the day, we say all right sir when no one is looking,” Lacson said.

“And when the sun is about to set on us, we pass the baton to the next generation of cavaliers hoping that the legacy lives on.”

Forgiven not forgotten

Lacson threw potshots at former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo, whom he accused of trying to malign his reputation.

“While I have forgiven them and their cohorts for their individual and collective acts to malign my personal reputation and honor, I am quite sure I will not forget their names,” he said.

Lacson delivered the scathing speech in front of PMA alumni, including members of class ’78, which adopted Arroyo.

Former Armed Forces chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who served under Arroyo, took a swipe at Lacson for mentioning the former first couple in his speech.

“He had a very good speech except that it was destroyed by the mention of two people, who did not have to be mentioned. He could have removed that line and it would have been perfect,” Esperon, a member of PMA class ’76, said in a chance interview.

“Let’s not speak as if we have monopoly of virtues.”

Lacson told reporters that he has also forgiven those whom he claimed helped the Arroyos defame him.

“If you are harboring a grudge and you cannot forgive a person, it feels heavy. I’ve forgiven them a long time ago, including those who helped them,” he said.

“They made me a kidnapper, a money launderer, a drug lord and I endured them all because my voice then was a voice in the wilderness. Even I myself, I was drowned by their propaganda,” he added, referring to his experience as an opposition senator.

Lacson was implicated in the abduction and murder of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. He left the country before a warrant of arrest could be issued against him by the court.

Lacson, then a senator, said he flew to another country to escape what he called “political harassment” by the Arroyo administration.

The court has dismissed the double murder case against Lacson, citing numerous contradictions in the testimonies of key witness Cesar Mancao.

Lacson said he has also forgiven Mancao, who is also a PMA graduate.

“I suffered for a long time because of that case that I have nothing to do with. Well, of course the Supreme Court has finally decided that I am not at fault. And I have also forgiven Col. Mancao but of course I will not also forget his name,” he said.

Moving on

Amid rumors that he is running for president in 2016, Lacson said he is “color blind” to politics and would rather focus on rehabilitating typhoon-hit areas as Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery.

“I eat (Typhoon) Yolanda for breakfast, I eat Yolanda for lunch, I eat Yolanda for dinner, I eat Yolanda for snacks, and I dream of Yolanda when I go to sleep at night so I have nothing more in my mind except Yolanda,” Lacson said.

“I don’t think of 2016. I’m color blind to politics. As I said, Yolanda is all I have in mind,” he added.

There have been persistent speculations that Lacson might make a run for the presidency in 2016 even if he is not aligned with any major political party.

The PMA Alumni Association Inc. (PMAAAI) clarified there is nothing political about the decision to pick Lacson as speaker and guest of honor.

“Number one, he is a cavalier himself and can relate to the event and number two, it’s because of his position as Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery,” said PMAAAI public affairs chief Col. Romeo Brawner Jr.

“Our country has gone through a lot of challenges like calamities. We see the role of the armed forces and the (PMA) cavaliers increasing with regard to helping our countrymen in terms of rehabilitation,” he added.

Nevertheless, the highlights of Lacson’s career as a politician and law enforcer were cited by PMAAAI chairman Reynaldo Reyes, who introduced him.

“Observers note that his rise to national prominence started when he catapulted the Philippine National Police to one of its highest public approval ratings in its history,” Reyes, a graduate of PMA Class ’64, said.

“During his two terms as senator, he consistently did not avail of his priority development assistance fund entitlement which is commonly known as the pork barrel and is worth P200 million per year. He said this is part of his crusade against graft and corruption,” he added, drawing applause from the audience.

Lacson’s address during the alumni homecoming did not touch on politics but focused on the need for cadets to maintain their integrity.

Adopted

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who is also rumored to be eyeing a presidential bid in 2016, was likewise present during the alumni homecoming.

Roxas said he attended the event as an adopted member of PMA “Maharlika” Class of 1984.

“Well, I’ve been coming in for the last 20 years since I was adopted by Class ’84,” he said in a separate interview.

Roxas dodged questions about the 2016 polls, saying focus should be given to important things like the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. – Artemio Dumlao