Presidential aspirants Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Mar Roxas. FILE PHOTOS
FORT DEL PILAR, Philippines — Around 9,000 guests showed up for the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming on Saturday, but no ‘presidentiables’ and non-PMA graduate politicians were in sight.
PMA spokesperson Lt. Col. Rey Balido said that there were an estimated 9,140 guests including the alumni and their visitors that attended the annual event.
There were 1,913 alumni who participated in the event—the oldest was MGen. Delfin Castro, 90, Class of 1951; and Second Lieutenant Joel Beran, 22, Class of 2015.
In recent years, politicians who are adopted as honorary members join the parade of the alumni. No politician or a presidentiable was in sight on Saturday’s event.
All the presidentiables are honorary members of the PMA: Rodrigo Duterte, Class of 1967; Miriam Santiago, Class of 1969; Manuel Roxas II, Class of 1984; Jejomar Binay, Class of 1988; Grace Poe, Class of 1991.
In 2015, Binay, Roxas and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano were able to join the parade with their respective batchmates.
Most of the presidential candidates are busy preparing for the Comelec debate on Sunday in Cagayan de Oro City.
READ: 5 presidential bets commit to Comelec debates
The PMA earlier warned that politicians won’t be allowed to join the parade to emphasize their being non-partisan.
Vice presidential bet Gringo Honasan and senatorial candidate Ping Lacson, both from Class of 1971 were present at the parade however.
Other PMA graduates who are seeking for a political post were: Samuel Pagdilao, Class of 1979 and Getulio Napeñas, Class of 1982, who are running for senator; Leopoldo Bataoil, Class of 1976, who is running for another term as congressman in Pangasinan; Dionisio Santiago, Class of 1970, who is running for senator.
Senator Antonio Trillanes, member of Class of 1995 and is running for vice president, did not attend the activity. IDL