The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) has reprimanded a cadet who requested to have the wristwatch of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during the commencement exercises of the PMA “Bagong Sinag” Class of 2024 at Fort General Gregorio Del Pilar in Baguio City in May.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday, Oct. 22, that the gesture made by the cadet is not a part of the tradition of the PMA.
“He was admonished for his actions, and that occurred in May po ano noong graduation [during the graduation]. So it was already dealt with according to regulations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Military Academy,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said.
The AFP did not identify the cadet but confirmed that he is now serving in the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
The issue was brought to light when Vice President Sara Duterte mentioned in a press conference last week about an incident that made her realized her work relationship with Marcos was already “toxic”.
She said the incident occurred during the PMA graduation last May 18, where she and Marcos were guests of honor. According to Duterte, a cadet asked Marcos if he could have the Commander-in-Chief’s wristwatch, but the latter refused to give it.
It was akin to an incident during the 2019 PMA graduation when a cadet also asked for the wristwatch of the Vice President’s father, then president Rodrigo Duterte, only that time, the Duterte patriarch gave it to the young man.
“This is not a tradition that we uphold. This is an isolated incident. It has already been dealt with. It's already a closed book on our side,” Padilla said.
“We do not know the exact details of what really transpired during that time. For our case, we deal with violations that were committed by our personnel,” the AFP spokesperson added.
According to the AFP, the cadet violated AFP’s rules and regulation on how an individual conducts himself as a cadet. The cadet was reprimanded months ago, even before VP Duterte made the remarks against Marcos.
“The AFP is a strong, united, and professional organization, and we deeply appreciate your understanding in keeping us out of political discussions,” Padilla said.