Fate of dismissed PMA cadet rests in Noy’s hands

MANILA, Philippines - The case of the dismissed Philippine Military Academy cadet found guilty of violating the honor code has not yet reached the office of President Aquino, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday.

“I verified with the private office, they haven’t received any report yet. We’ll just ask where it went. We’ll also ask the office of the executive secretary,” he said.

Lacierda noted the President has the final say on whether PMA cadet Jeff Aldrin Cudia would be allowed to graduate Sunday and enter a career in the military service.

He refused to say though if Aquino, as commander-in-chief of the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines, has administrative jurisdiction over PMA. Aquino would decide the case, if indeed the appeal reaches his desk.

“I cannot speak on that until we have spoken to the President. That’s kind of speculative,” Lacierda pointed out.

“He doesn’t comment on such things. We have not discussed the situation of cadet Cudia. It’s better for him (Aquino) also not to issue any – I mean, he should not state anything precisely to have (impartiality). But we don’t know yet if there was an appeal. We have not discussed cadet Cudia,” he said.

As regards the request of the Cudia family for an audience with the Chief Executive, Lacierda also said there was no such thing as far as they are concerned. 

“I inquired with the private office also, there was no request for a meeting. I think maybe this is a unilateral decision. Unfortunately, the President is not in the Palace now, so I can’t say. But there is no confirmation of that request,” Lacierda added.

Not giving up

Cudia’s family is not giving up the fight. Renato Cudia, his wife and daughter Avee went to the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo seeking an audience with Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista.

Accompanied by Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta, the Cudias were referred to the Public Information Office. Bautista is conducting inspection of military headquarters in the provinces following attacks of communist rebels in Davao del Sur.

“Our family is united in this battle. We would like to thank all of you for supporting us. We also thank the Lord. With His help, we will be able to clarify everything. We are leaving it up to Him. It’s painful for our family, really painful but we see light at the end of the tunnel,” the elder Cudia told reporters.

Cudia said they submitted their formal appeal to the AFP leadership. The appeal was received by AFP deputy chief of staff for personnel Rear Admiral Philip Cacayan. The case will be reviewed by the AFP Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAGO).

He said they would fight the case of his son until the very end because they value the hard work put in by Cudia for four years in the PMA.

Cadet Cudia was meted with 11 demerits and 13 hours of touring (walking the grounds) for being two minutes late for a class. The cadet appealed his punishment, prompting the PMA’s Honor Committee to investigate the case. Cudia, a PMA First Class cadet, was at the top of his Navy Class, a Deputy Baron and in the top three of Class 2014.

Cudia’s case gained public attention after his sister posted the issue on Facebook. The post garnered more than 17,000 shares.

Acosta admitted the attempt of the Cudias to appeal the case is an uphill battle considering the previous decision of the PMA Honor Committee, dismissing the cadet for allegedly lying, a violation of the honor code.

The PMA-Cadet Review and Appeals Board (CRAB), which reviewed the case, upheld the dismissal on Tuesday.

Acosta said the appeal they filed yesterday with the AFP leadership contained the same documents Cudia filed with the office of PMA superintendent Major Gen. Oscar Lopez.

“We filed the same sets of documents Cudia submitted to Lopez. We just added the newly discovered evidence. We are hopeful the AFP leadership will consider this,” Acosta told reporters.

She said the new evidence includes the information that Cudia should have been acquitted after one of the members of the PMA Honor Committee claimed to have voted not guilty.

Under the rules, even if only one of the nine members of the Honor Committee abstains or acquits Cudia, the cadet will be cleared of any charges.

But the PMA announced that all members of the committee unanimously agreed that Cudia indeed violated the PMA’s Code of Honor, where a cadet does not lie, cheat and steal nor tolerate those who do.

“We are hopeful the PMA and the AFP will consider the affidavit executed by another cadet that Cudia should have been acquitted. This case could be elevated to court but we hope to settle the matter administratively,” Acosta added.

“We are informing through our appeal that cadet Cudia should graduate as per voting (of the PMA Honor Committee). The result should be acquitted not dismissed,” she added.

If left with no choice, Acosta said they would elevate the matter to court.

“The graduation is on March 16 but we are still hopeful. Cudia has been punished because he had lost his chance to graduate salutatorian. We are appealing for the PMA and the AFP to allow Cudia to graduate and get his diploma.”

In a television interview, Acosta said that if there will be no resolution before or after PMA graduation on Sunday, they will take the case to a court in Baguio City.

Acosta’s statement on new evidence was supported by Navy Commander Junjit Tabuada in his affidavit as reported by GMA News.

Tabuada said he chanced upon the cadet who voted “not guilty” after the PMA Honor Code deliberation. He claimed the cadet confessed he was overturned on his vote.

Ostracized

There are indications, however, that Cudia will not be allowed by his “mistahs” or classmates to graduate with them.

Even the supposedly closest of Cudia’s mistahs in the PMA, who locked arms with him for four years in the academy, are now hesitant to call him a mistah. 

Number two graduate – Liza Jumawid Dango of Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City – who replaced Cudia in the second spot in the graduating class, found it hard to even answer if she still considers Cudia a mistah.

According to her, mistahs are those in the list of graduates, and Cudia is not on that list.

For Cudia’s former classmates, the longstanding tradition of the Honor Code is paramount. 

A member of PMA class 1983, a cavalier, said even dismissed or discharged classmates are still regarded as their mistah wherever they are now.

Another graduate from PMA class 1989 said, “once a mistah, always a mistah.” – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Artemio Dumlao