BAGUIO CITY – Four cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) will be facing charges for violation of the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 after they allegedly maltreated a former fourth-class cadet inside the premier military institution.
The maltreated fourth class cadet accused his upper-class cadets of allegedly punching him many times and ordered him to perform excessive exercises that caused his hospitalization at the Vicente Luna Medical Center in Quezon City before being transferred to the PMA station hospital to pursue his recovery.
The alleged hazing victim was discharged from the PMA station hospital only last June 30, 2025.
The victim claimed that the hazing was done on him by his upper class cadets from September 2-29, 2024 inside their barracks or at the time that they will have the chance to maltreat him.
Sources, who requested anonymity, disclosed that the suspects are still at large but the victim is now preparing the necessary documents that are required to support the filing of the appropriate charges against them.
The identities of the suspects are still withheld pending the formal filing of the appropriate charges against them.
The latest report on the alleged hazing incident inside the Academy is a serious setback to the ongoing reforms being introduced and implemented to eradicate the maltreatment of the lower class cadets by their upper class men.
Earlier, a local court convicted several PMA cadets because of their direct involvement in the hazing of a fourth class cadet that eventually resulted to his untimely demise.
The convicted cadets were ordered to suffer the penalty of imprisonment and indemnify the family of the cadet who died after being allegedly maltreated.
Concerned sectors have time and again condemned the alleged unabated hazing being committed by upper class cadets to their lower class men because of its impact on the overall image of the Academy being the premier military institution in the Asia Pacific region.
The PMA administration has yet to issue a formal statement on the latest incident of hazing that was committed inside the Academy.
The PMA will embark on a new strategy that will produce future military officers who will be able to effectively and efficiently navigate the digital space considering the emerging trends in the global warfare which is now shifting from the traditional to the modern way of engagements.
Sources expressed hope that the latest hazing and maltreatment incident inside the Academy will be given appropriate attention by concerned authorities so that the culprits will be meted the necessary penalties to send a clear message that the PMA administration does not tolerate the abuses and maltreatment being committed by upper class cadets to their lower classmen for the same not to be repeated in the future by the current batch of cadets who are inside the institution. By Dexter A. See
