PMA superintendent resigns following hazing death

September 24, 2019

Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Superintendent Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista announced his resignation on Tuesday.

“All the reports for the administrative and criminal cases are now finished and prosecution procedures has commenced. The last act that this great military institution demands is for the leadership to take responsibility over what happened,” Evangelista said.

Evangelista made the decision following the death of a fourth class cadet last week. It was also reported on Monday, two other cadets are recovering at a military hospital due to alleged maltreatment.

“In the military tradition of 'Command Responsibility',  it is now the proper time for me as the head of this institution together with the Commandant of cadets to relinquish our respective positions. I have already tendered my resignation to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. I will do all that is left to be done while I wait for the official orders,” he added.

Evangelista said they have completed the investigation before he resigned.

“PMA is the primary military leadership training institution of the AFP. With this, we have to show the Filipino people what 'Command Responsibility' should be. I did not leave my post in the midst of crisis, I faced the problem squarely and we have finished the investigation,” he said.

“As I resign my post, it is now up to the proper authority to decide on the finality of the case. That for me is the definition of command responsibility” he said.

“All that is right, legal and moral must be learned, experienced and inculcated in every lesson, activity, interaction and relation in every cadet’s four-year journey in PMA,” he added.

“It is our hope and prayers that all our actions have been faithful to what this institution stands for: courage to seek and face the truth, integrity to defend what is right and loyalty to the honourable life that makes as worthy to be called PMAyers.” Robina Asido/DMS