Guilty as charged?

Laying the blame on institutions that can’t talk back is something quite common in the Philippines. Rather than face our ghosts or confront inconvenient truths and issues, many of us will simply lay blame on a particular branch of government or an institution.

It is they say, part of our culture and values not to make things “personal” through direct confrontation, or to shame or dishonor someone face to face. But unlike our “Asian” neighbors, whatever accusations we can’t take out directly against people, we Filipinos often take out on our institutions.

Perhaps we do this because it’s a lot “safer” in terms of backlash or personal accountability, or maybe because attacking an institution gives us instant relief from our frustration and anger.

This convenient, “harmless” act of attacking an institution may fall under the right to self expression and the concept of “No harm, no foul”, but in the end, how long will it take before the integrity, respect or value of our institutions begin to chip, crack and crumble?

Contrary to the popular nursery rhyme: “sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words can never harm me”; WORDS do cause harm and even more. Ask a child psychiatrist, a historian, a Pastor or a Priest. Even in his book, the apostle James warned how words have the power of life or death.

Unfortunately, as our nation turns a new leaf under a new President, we find ourselves confronted by revelation and exposé on corruption and abuse of authority. Faced by the sins of a few, Filipinos have readily condemned entire institutions.

In the last month and a half, we have heard so many, damn and curse the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Commission On Audit (COA), and last but not the least; the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

The PMA has received probably the most blistering of insults where its acronym PMA has been changed into derogatory insults intended to ridicule and dishonor the academy.

Ever since the “plea bargain” controversy erupted concerning Major General Carlos Garcia, many in broadcast media and their audiences have cursed, cussed and accused the PMA for being nothing more than a training ground for economic opportunists in the military.

Others charge the PMA as a failed institution that raises both the corrupt and those who entertain military adventurism and launch mini rebellions to get what they want. Sadly, the critics conveniently overlooked the thousands of cadets and officers who served with dignity and honor.

Out of all the people that have thrown insults at the PMA, I wonder how many have actually walked through the corridor dedicated for heroes from the PMA and read their tales of valor? How many have actually walked on the PMA grounds where many true soldiers have been recruited, educated and trained to live by a code of honor and discipline?

Do they even know the statistics on how many percent of each graduating class served with pride or brought dishonor to the academy and to the nation?

It would be justified to condemn an institution if it were truly a curse or utterly useless, but can “You” speak truthfully that the PMA is such? How many of their fallen that died in Action, do you know personally? I know at least one personally, if not a few. And just like them, there are more graduates of the PMA that have served well than those who have brought it shame.

Yes, I dare say that the Academy, the PMA, has produced generations of true soldiers and dedicated citizens. If some have failed to live by the code, they confessed that it was not the academy that failed them but the reality of life after the academy.

Several young captains from the rebel Magdalo group once confided in me that while in the Academy, they lived a life made “perfect” by a code of conduct. There was only one code and it was all about discipline.

But once outside the Academy, they found themselves living in a “moral” Hell. Senior officers made up the rules, bent the rules or did not believe in rules. They controlled every aspect of life; from food, allowances, work details, assignments and promotions.

If the Academy was “the Field of Dreams”, outside its walls was the “World of Chaos”.

If senior officials and politicians ruined the code of conduct, the real world flooded the PMAers with immoral poison. If the Academy had but one failing it was forgetting to equip their soldiers with spiritual weapons and capabilities to fight off alcohol, sexual promiscuity, pride, rage and violence.

Ultimately, it is not the Academy’s fault if men sold their souls for profit or raised their weapons in rebellion. It is society’s fault. We expect them to “obey”, but who are they suppose to obey; corrupt officers and politicians? When they rebel against the corruption and breakdown of discipline, do we as citizens of the Republic hear them out or do we not brand them as military adventurists or rebellious misfits?

That in fact was the case in the Oakwood Mutiny, was it not?

When the young officers from the PMA rebelled, we the citizens were inconvenienced. The business community was incensed because of the effects on the economy while media were all over each other for scoops more than the fine print and real details. The Filipino people stood by the sidelines and watched.

So the PMAers went to jail for many years, one day many members of media were hauled to jail by the very forces the “mutineers” rebelled against. The businessmen realized they could hardly do business in an environment they had helped to corrupt, then the politicians discovered they too were being singled out or being disenfranchised. So they all decided to cause a change.

Yet through it all, your PMA soldiers remained in jail or had to enter into their own plea-bargains and dishonorable discharge for doing the honorable thing.

Even under a new President, they still had to apply for amnesty for an act of mutiny against the very people who are now being charged or investigated for plunder.

Please don’t blame the institution for the sins of men.

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