NEWSFLASH
GMA'S HUSBAND DEFIES MEMO VS. PMA MARCH
Baguio City, Feb. 18, 2001 - All was almost well here yesterday until President Arroyo's husband Jose Miguel or Mike, former Tarlac governor and now presidential assistant Margarita "Tingting" Cojuangco and Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez marched with different PMA classes as adopted members during the 97th Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming.
The marching of the three with their "mistahs" violated a recent memorandum of the PMA Alumni Association Inc. (PMAAAI) that bans honorary members from doing so.
Arroyo is an honorary member of PMA Class 1974, Cojuangco of Class 1983 and Golez of Class 1970.
A person is usually adopted by a class because of his or her valuable contribution to the country.
Retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Lisandro Abadia, also president of Class 1962, confirmed that there is such a memorandum, he having received a copy of it.
Abadia said the prohibition covers movie stars, politicians and journalists.
Arroyo and Golez, both in barong tagalog, and Cojuangco, in a gray blue suit, emerged during the march, which began past 10 a.m., to the surprise of spectators.
One seemingly puzzled spectator asked why the three were there considering the memorandum issued last week by the PMAAAI Board of Directors.
The memorandum came out as a preventive step against the "desecration" of PMA alumni homecomings by show-business personalities and other PMA honorary members.
Brig. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, vice chief of the military's Visayas Command and PMAAAI board chairman who led the signatories of the memorandum, could not be reached for comment.
Honorary members San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada (Class 1972), Jude Estrada (Class 1983), JV Ejercito (Class 1988) and former Bulacan Gov. Roberto Pagdanganan (Class 1971) had been expected at the homecoming but did not show up.
Jinggoy's fellow film star Rudy Fernandez is also an honorary member of Class 1972.
His father, deposed President Joseph Estrada, had been scheduled for honorary membership but the plan did not push through.
President Arroyo, an honorary member of Class 1978 who also regularly attends PMA alumni homecomings, was the guest speaker but did not join the march.
Among the other guests who joined the march are former President Fidel Ramos, a retired general of the defunct Philippine Constabulary and a member of Class 1951; and Sen. Gregorio Honasan of Class 1971.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Angelo Reyes (Class 1966) and acting Philippine National Police chief Deputy Director Gen. Leandro Mendoza (Class 1969) were seated at the grandstand with the President.
During the reunion, Reyes was cited for his valuable contribution to Edsa II, or the military-backed popular uprising that deposed Joseph Estrada as president last Jan. 20.
In the memorandum, PMAAAI president Col. Reynaldo Rivera (Class 1971) stressed the need to maintain the integrity and sacredness of the country's premier military academy amid complaints from PMA graduates that the adoption system has been turned into a vehicle by politicians for pushing their candidacies.
The Philippine Army's 4th Infantry Division commander, Maj. Gen. Ernesto Carolina (Class 1972) said each batch sets its own criteria for adoption.
"What's incorrect is when it (adoption) is abused. What's bad (for the academy) is when one is approved (for adoption) and then later on it will only be used by the adopted member for his own political advantage," Carolina pointed out.
Also spotted marching were Tarlac Rep. Gilbert Teodoro, Class 1976 and Iloilo Rep. Rolex Sulpicio, Class 1981. Panfilo Lacson, Class 1971 member and former Philippine National Police chief who is now running for the Senate, snubbed the occasion. (By Mario J. Mallari and She Caguimbal-Torres)
© Copyright, 2001 by PHILIPPINE
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