‘Don’t mix service with politics’

PMA VALEDICTORIAN President Aquino presents the Presidential Saber to newly commissioned Ensign Kristian Daeve Abiqui, valedictorian of Philippine Military Academy Class of 2016, during commencement exercises at Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City, on Sunday. EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City —For as long as it shuns politics, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its newly commissioned officers from Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 2016, Gabay Laya, will pave the way for meaningful change in the country, President Aquino said on Sunday.

“We can be assured that the AFP can help sustain positive changes for as long as soldiers continue to follow their mandate, for as long as you are on the side of the people, and you do not mix with politics,” Mr. Aquino told the 63 members of the class.

“Progress can never happen without peace and stability,” he said.

Gabay Laya (Freedom’s Guide) stands for “Gintong Anak ng Bayan Alay ay Buhay para sa Kalayaan (Golden children of the nation, who offer their lives for freedom).”

Maj. Gen. Donato San Juan II, PMA superintendent, gave the same advice: “In a few more months, the 2016 national elections will take place. Your duty as new military officers is to ensure clean, honest and peaceful elections.”

The new graduates should protect “the integrity of each voter” because “one vote can make a world of difference,” he said.

“I believe in our soldiers. The progress made because of ‘Daang Matuwid’ (Straight Path) could not have been possible without your support. We are all aware we have a role to play in the development of this country,” Mr. Aquino said in his speech.

“You are the smallest PMA class since the 1960s. More than 20,200 applied for a spot at PMA and only 63 stand before me today. For me, this was an achievement. You were weighed and measured and you passed all standards,” he said.

He said Gabay Laya was the sixth class to graduate under his administration where “good governance, honesty and integrity reigned in the bureaucracy.”

“When you leave PMA,” he said, “you would face challenges and temptations.”

“What standards do you use to help you decide? If you can allow someone a bit older than you to offer an advice, it’s simple: Ask yourselves, ‘Will what I am about to do help the public? How many would benefit or would be hurt by my actions?’” Mr. Aquino said.

He said the new officers “should also examine their conscience when they come to a point when they start to believe that they are always right, or that they are better than everyone else.”

“It’s in all of your hands should democracy remain strong, or society returns to the dark period of our history filled with abuse and injustice,” he said.

He said Gabay Laya graduates had the power to ensure “an environment of peace and unity, or a return to a world where no one could be trusted.”