(Eagle News) — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has ordered a review of all “traditions” of cadets in the Philippine National Police Academy following the mauling of six of its recent graduates, and stressed the need for more uniformed personnel who will supervise them.
Año, a cum laude graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, ordered Philippine Public Safety College president Ricardo de Leon and PNPA director Chief Superintendent Joseph Adnol to “institute the necessary systematic reforms that will put a stop” to these practices.
For instance, Año said there should be more uniformed officers who will “closely supervise” the cadets, as recommended by the board of inquiry that probed the incident.
He said to address the problem of many preferring to be assigned to the field rather than mentor so they could be promoted, these uniformed officers “should be given additional points..”
Only four officers assigned to the PNPA Cadet Affairs Office supervised over 200 cadets.
“Serving our country by training the cadets is equally valiant and important as maintaining peace and order, monitoring inmates, or suppressing and preventing fire,” Año said.
He said he would visit the PNPA later this month to “hold a dialogue with the Regimental Commander of the Corps of the Cadets, his staff, the class presidents, and the PNPA senior officials including the Commandant of Cadets..”
In March, Police Inspectors Ylam Lambenecio, Arjay Divino, Mark Kevin Villares, Floyd Traqueña, Jan Paul Magmoyao and Jail Inspector Arjay Marcaida Cuasay were mauled by nine underclassmen right after their graduation ceremonies.
Two of the victims have filed charges against Cadet 2nd Class Donald Ramirez Kissing, Cadet 2nd Class Delos Santos, Cadet 2nd Class Jem Camcam Peralta, Cadet 2nd Class Clint John Baguidodol, Cadet 2nd Class Christopher De Guzman Macalalad; Cadet 2nd Class Loreto Aquino Tuliao Jr., Cadet 2nd Class Calamba, Cadet 2nd Class Coplat and Cadet 2nd Class Amanon over the incident.
The board of inquiry that investigated the mauling also recommended the active prosecution of offenses amounting to criminal acts before the regular courts, the strengthening of the esprit de corps among cadets, the sanctioning of all activities of cadets by PNPA authorities, and the intervention of the Interior Secretary where the deployment of training units is concerned.
