President Benigno Aquino III. AFP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–President Aquino called on the newest officers of the military on Monday to shun temptation in the service, rallying them to his program of good governance marked by the “daang matuwid” (straight path).
In welcoming the 146 graduates of the Officers Candidate Courses to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Commander-in-Chief told them they would need “extraordinary courage and honor to face the temptations you might encounter while serving the country.”
“There would be those who would offer you envelopes filled with cash in exchange for your signature. There would be those who would try to make your lives easier in exchange for your principles,” Aquino said in his speech at the graduation rites in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
But the President said he was optimistic the graduates would “do what is right because I trust that you are seeing the benefits of taking the righteous path.”
Aquino pointed to benefits the military had accrued from the daang matuwid, citing the housing projects and new equipment for the personnel.
“We have proven that bringing integrity back to governance leads to good and concrete results,” he said.
Of the 146 graduates, 65 will join the Philippine Army, 47 the Philippine Navy and 34 the Philippine Air Force.
The President also advised the graduates to steel themselves against “criticism” that may come their way.
“You will serve long. Often you will quietly perform the tasks assigned to you. The public at large will not notice the sacrifices you make just to stay true to your uniform. There will even be times when, despite your efforts, you will face a torrent of criticism,” he said.
“But we didn’t join public service for the recognition, right? As long as we are able to help, that’s enough. As long as we are able to contribute to positive change, that’s enough,” he added.–Christian V. Esguerra