Press Release
February 9, 2011

CHIZ: DON'T DRAG PMA TO CORRUPTION CONTROVERSY

There is no basis to drag the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) into the corruption scandal hounding the former top brass of the Armed Forces and abolish the country's premier military school.

Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on defense and security, defended the PMA amid proposals to close down the academy, whose products include former generals who now are being accused of pocketing hundreds of millions in military funds while in office.

"That there are few rotten eggs is no reason to abolish the institution that produced them. No institution is perfect. Otherwise, the same argument can be raised against other educational institutions that produced some bad eggs", Escudero said.

The senator, however, acknowledged the need to review PMA's policies and programs not only to strengthen ethical training but to make its academic standards comparable with the military schools overseas.

"The reforms should not only focus on moral and ethical training but should also include academic performance that would enable the academy's graduates to be at par with the world's best given that it is primarily an educational institution. It shouldn't be called Asia's premier military academy for nothing," Escudero explained.

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