ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos to PMA graduates: Loyalty must be to Constitution, not politics

Marcos to PMA graduates: Loyalty must be to Constitution, not politics

Published May 16, 2026 11:31 am  |  Updated May 16, 2026 01:54 pm

At A Glance

  • President Marcos reminded PMA graduates that their loyalty must remain with the Constitution, not political interests or personalities.
  • The President warned cadets about modern threats, including disinformation, cyber attacks, and territorial aggression.
  • Marcos also highlighted PMA curriculum reforms involving AI, data science, and emerging technologies.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (RTVM)
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (RTVM)

President Marcos reminded graduating cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) that their loyalty must always remain with the Constitution and not with political interests, personalities, or ideologies.

Speaking during the commencement exercises of the PMA “Talang Dangal” Class of 2026 in Baguio City, Marcos stressed the importance of integrity, discipline, and constitutional loyalty among future military officers.

“As you take your oath today, remember that your loyalty is not to any political interest, not to any individual, nor any passing ideology,” the President said Saturday, May 16.

“Your loyalty must always remain with the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines,” he added.

The President also reminded the graduates to uphold the PMA Honor Code throughout their service.

“Never lie, never cheat, never steal, and never tolerate those who do,” he said.

“Because silence in the face of wrongdoing is a betrayal of your values, a betrayal of your country, and a betrayal of the very principles that you have sworn to defend,” he added.

Modern threats

President Marcos said the country’s security threats are no longer limited to traditional battlefields.

“They now emerge in cyberspace, in disinformation, in territorial aggression, in calamities worsened by climate change, and in forces that seek to weaken trust in our institutions and divide our people,” Marcos said.

He said future military officers must be capable not only of responding to threats but also of anticipating them before they fully emerge.

“Your ability to discern truth from deception is crucial to making sound decisions,” the President said.

AI, data science in PMA

Marcos also highlighted reforms in the PMA curriculum to prepare cadets for emerging threats and modern warfare.

According to the President, cadets have already been exposed to disciplines such as data science, Python foundations, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, and unmanned systems.

The reforms are part of the government’s efforts to modernize the PMA and strengthen the Armed Forces’ preparedness to address evolving security challenges.

‘Talang Dangal’ Class

A total of 207 cadets graduated as members of the PMA “Talang Dangal” Class of 2026.

Leading the graduating class was Christine Kaye Demisana Librada.

Marcos said the class name — “Tagapagtanggol ng Lahing Dakila at Marangal” — reflects a generation of leaders expected to embody courage, integrity, and loyalty.

At the end of the ceremony, the President also granted the traditional pardon of all outstanding punishments of PMA cadets from all year levels.

Related Tags

President Marcos Bongbong Marcos PMA Philippine Military Academy AI
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.