By Martin Sadongdong
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa has rejected the offer of the director of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) to resign over the controversial mauling incident of its six new graduates.
Dela Rosa said he did not accept PNPA director Chief Supt. Joseph Adnol's offer to resign amid the mauling incident of six members of the PNPA Maragtas Class of 2018 right after their graduation on March 21 in Silang, Cavite.
Chief Director General Ronaldo "Bato" Dela Rosa
(Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN) "The director of the PNPA, si General Adnol, called me up last weekend and offered his resignation. Sabi niya, 'napapahiya na ako dito. Hindi ko naman talaga kagustuhan ito. Nabigla lang ako dahil may ganito na palang tradition sa PNPA. Wala ito sa panahon namin kaya hindi ako nakapag-prepare' (The director of the PNPA, General Adnol, called me up last weekend and offered his resignation. He said, 'I am ashamed. I didn't want this. I was shocked because there is now this kind of tradition in the PNPA. It was not being done during our time in the academy so I wasn't prepared)," Dela Rosa said. "My answer was no, you don't have to resign. Hindi mo kasalanan 'yan. Gawin mo lang properly yung investigation at siguruhin mo na ma-stop 'yang tradition na iyan (My answer was no, you don't have to resign. It's not your fault. Just conduct the investigation properly and make sure that the tradition would be stopped)," he added. Adnol confirmed that he thought of resigning out of courtesy but he said Dela Rosa encouraged him to work hard instead. "I was caught unaware that such thing would happen. When I graduated here in the academy, there was no such tradition. We are afraid of our upperclassmen. We never expected that this would happen," he said. Adnol is a graduate of the PNPA Class of 1985. The reported mauling incident involved 41 cadets who are now being investigated; and six victims, including Maragtas Class Top 9 Jail Insp. Arjay Marcaida Cuasay; Police Inspectors Ylam Lambenecio and Arjay Divino who already filed criminal charges before the Silang police station; and Inspectors Mark Kevin Villares, Floyd Traquena, and Jan Paul Magmoyao. Of the 41, nine identified cadets will be facing criminal charges including 2C Donald Ramirez Kissing; 2C Jem Camcam Peralta; 2C Clint John Baguidodol, 2C Paul Christopher De Guzman Macalalad; 2C Loreto Aquino Tuliao Jr; and certain 2C Delos Santos; 2C Calamba; 2C Coplat; and 2C Amanon. The cadets involved, who are on their third year and up for graduation next year, may be dismissed from the academy if proven guilty. Extreme The alleged tradition was the "dunking" of underclassmen to their upperclassmen as a way of congratulating them, dela Rosa said. In the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), dela Rosa described the dunking tradition as underclassmen throwing their upperclassmen to the pool. "Samin sa PMA, dunking ang tawag diyan. Itatapon ka sa pool but before that papatayin ka sa kiliti. But ito sa PNPA, sumobra na may ulo na hinampas, may ilong na nabali, may nasugatan (In the PMA, we call that dunking. An upperclassman will be thrown to the pool but before that, you will be tickled to death. But in the PNPA, it went too far because heads were smashed, noses were broken, there were those who were wounded)," he said. Dela Rosa is a graduate of the PMA Class of 1986. PNPA alumni Meanwhile, the PNP Academy Alumni Association Incorporated (PNPAAAI)'s board of trustees, in a statement, condemned the incident which they described as an "act of violence" and expressed support for the ongoing investigation of the case. "In light of the recent incident involving cadets and new graduates of PNPA, the Philippine National Police Academy Alumni Association Incorporated (PNPAAAI) condemns the act of violence," the PNPAAAI said. "Such act has no place in the Academy, more so in a civilized society. There is no tradition of hurting fellow cadets or any person for that matter. What happened was an isolated case and we do not condone such demeanor. We fully support the ongoing investigation and if evidence warrants, they should be held accountable for nobody is above the law," it added.
Chief Director General Ronaldo "Bato" Dela Rosa(Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN) "The director of the PNPA, si General Adnol, called me up last weekend and offered his resignation. Sabi niya, 'napapahiya na ako dito. Hindi ko naman talaga kagustuhan ito. Nabigla lang ako dahil may ganito na palang tradition sa PNPA. Wala ito sa panahon namin kaya hindi ako nakapag-prepare' (The director of the PNPA, General Adnol, called me up last weekend and offered his resignation. He said, 'I am ashamed. I didn't want this. I was shocked because there is now this kind of tradition in the PNPA. It was not being done during our time in the academy so I wasn't prepared)," Dela Rosa said. "My answer was no, you don't have to resign. Hindi mo kasalanan 'yan. Gawin mo lang properly yung investigation at siguruhin mo na ma-stop 'yang tradition na iyan (My answer was no, you don't have to resign. It's not your fault. Just conduct the investigation properly and make sure that the tradition would be stopped)," he added. Adnol confirmed that he thought of resigning out of courtesy but he said Dela Rosa encouraged him to work hard instead. "I was caught unaware that such thing would happen. When I graduated here in the academy, there was no such tradition. We are afraid of our upperclassmen. We never expected that this would happen," he said. Adnol is a graduate of the PNPA Class of 1985. The reported mauling incident involved 41 cadets who are now being investigated; and six victims, including Maragtas Class Top 9 Jail Insp. Arjay Marcaida Cuasay; Police Inspectors Ylam Lambenecio and Arjay Divino who already filed criminal charges before the Silang police station; and Inspectors Mark Kevin Villares, Floyd Traquena, and Jan Paul Magmoyao. Of the 41, nine identified cadets will be facing criminal charges including 2C Donald Ramirez Kissing; 2C Jem Camcam Peralta; 2C Clint John Baguidodol, 2C Paul Christopher De Guzman Macalalad; 2C Loreto Aquino Tuliao Jr; and certain 2C Delos Santos; 2C Calamba; 2C Coplat; and 2C Amanon. The cadets involved, who are on their third year and up for graduation next year, may be dismissed from the academy if proven guilty. Extreme The alleged tradition was the "dunking" of underclassmen to their upperclassmen as a way of congratulating them, dela Rosa said. In the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), dela Rosa described the dunking tradition as underclassmen throwing their upperclassmen to the pool. "Samin sa PMA, dunking ang tawag diyan. Itatapon ka sa pool but before that papatayin ka sa kiliti. But ito sa PNPA, sumobra na may ulo na hinampas, may ilong na nabali, may nasugatan (In the PMA, we call that dunking. An upperclassman will be thrown to the pool but before that, you will be tickled to death. But in the PNPA, it went too far because heads were smashed, noses were broken, there were those who were wounded)," he said. Dela Rosa is a graduate of the PMA Class of 1986. PNPA alumni Meanwhile, the PNP Academy Alumni Association Incorporated (PNPAAAI)'s board of trustees, in a statement, condemned the incident which they described as an "act of violence" and expressed support for the ongoing investigation of the case. "In light of the recent incident involving cadets and new graduates of PNPA, the Philippine National Police Academy Alumni Association Incorporated (PNPAAAI) condemns the act of violence," the PNPAAAI said. "Such act has no place in the Academy, more so in a civilized society. There is no tradition of hurting fellow cadets or any person for that matter. What happened was an isolated case and we do not condone such demeanor. We fully support the ongoing investigation and if evidence warrants, they should be held accountable for nobody is above the law," it added.