Bato on PMA chief resignation: ‘Another good officer’s career wasted’

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Tuesday lamented the resignation of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) superintendent Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista, saying “another good officer’s career was wasted.”

“Another good officer, wasted ‘yung kanyang career because of that very unfortunate incident [Another good officer whose career was wasted because of that very unfortunate incident],” Dela Rosa told reporters in an interview.

Evangelista announced on Tuesday that he is quitting his post after the hazing death of Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio. Resigning with him is the commandant of the Corps of Cadets Brig. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro.

READ: PMA chief quits post over cadet’s hazing death

Dela Rosa vouched for Evangelista’s character, saying he knew the PMA chief “very well.”

“Napakagaling na opisyal niyan. Lahat ng matitinding assignment sa Army ay nahahawakan niya [He is a very good officer. He was able to handle all the extreme assignments in the Army]… but he was there at the right time at the wrong incident,” he added.

The senator said he cannot yet say if there was negligence on the part of Evangelista in the hazing death of Dormitorio, who died on September 18, from cardiac arrest secondary to internal injuries due to supposed maltreatment.

Dormitorio would have been a member of PMA Class 2023.

“Unfair naman sa ‘kin na husgahan ko siya na negligence on his [Evangelista’s] part dahil alam ko may effort din siya na maiwasan yung hazing [It is unfair for me to judge him that there was negligence on Evangelista’s part because I know he also exerted effort to prevent hazing],” Dela Rosa said. /jpv

READ: PMA cadet’s death ‘another case of shattered dreams’ – Dela Rosa