FG, Buboy, Loren, Jinggoy, Bong Revilla among them

(First of 3 parts)

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—Re-electionist Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. proudly joined the parade wearing a silver military medal at the annual alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) two weekends ago.

He was a supposed to be a silver jubilarian, just like his “mistahs” from Class 1985.

Unknown to many—even probably to him—Revilla is not an officially recognized “honorary member” of the PMA Alumni Association Inc. (PMAAA). And there are many political bigwigs in the same fix.

Newsbreak research found that at least 25 other politicians or politically influential persons have no claim to be called honorary members of the PMA.

Other adoptees who are not officially recognized are First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, presidential daughter Luli Arroyo, presidential brother Diosdado “Buboy” Macapagal Jr., vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda, business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., and senators Francis Pangilinan and Jinggoy Estrada.

They are not in the PMA Alumni Register, copies of which were shown to Newsbreak. The Register is annually published to update the list of full-fledged honorary members.

[click to see complete list]

In a practice that’s unique to the Philippines, PMA classes commonly adopt so-called heavyweights as honorary members. The relationship is mutually beneficial—the PMA class gets prestige and, sometimes, political favors; the politicians establishes with influential military men a connection that they (politicians) seem to believe is similar to a fraternity.

‘Guest members’
The practice is highly unregulated, admitted incoming PMAAA chairman, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon of PMA Class 1961.

“There is no prohibition. But for one to be a full honorary member of the whole organization, it must be approved by the board,” Biazon told Newsbreak.

“You can be a member of the class, but that does not mean the adoptee has already become a member [of the alumni association],” he added.

Incoming PMAAA President Col. Edgardo Rene Samonte of PMA Class 1981 calls them “guest members.” They have taken their oaths as honorary members of a PMA class, but the PMAAA board of directors and officers has yet to recognize them.

Biazon said the application of these guest members are probably pending board approval or their PMA classes failed to submit their nominations for board approval. PMAAA refused to discuss the individual status of nominations.

Based on PMAAA bylaws, any Filipino or foreign citizen can be an honorary member as long as he or she has an “exemplary and distinguished” track record of service in his or her field.

But it’s a tedious process. Candidates need to:

• submit a curriculum vitae for evaluation;
• be nominated by at least 10 commissioned officers; and
• get a unanimous vote of approval by the PMAAA board, which is composed of 18 officers.

Approval of nominations doesn’t come easy. According The Register, the board has approved nominations of only 3 honorary members in the past 5 years. They are Chief Justice Reynato Puno, businessman Delfin Wenceslao Jr., and Ninoy Aquino International Airport general manager Alfonso Cusi.

As of 2009, there are 86 total honorary members, officially recognized by the PMAAA. Out of this number, 40 are government officials.

Curiously, military personnel are also adopted as honorary members of different batches. There are at least 39 of them in the official list. The remaining 7 in the list are businessmen and priests.

Other official honorary members include President Gloria Arroyo (Class 1978), presidential candidate Manuel Villar Jr. (Class 1977), and Gilbert Teodoro (Class 1976), vice presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II (Class 1984), and senatorial candidates Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (Class 1969), and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Marcos II (Class 1979).

Call for regulations
Biazon said he will make sure the incoming officers of the PMAAA will discuss the issue of the proliferation of unofficial honorary members.

“I am not for or against it, but it will be put on the agenda,” Biazon said.

Biazon said he will recommend a review of the PMAAA’s policies on honorary memberships to shield the military from political influences, especially during the 2010 elections. Biazon will assume the post in March.

The problem is that there are no explicit provisions in the PMAAA bylaws which sanction PMA classes that adopt without the board's approval.

Samonte agreed with Biazon. He said it’s about time that the original intent of the PMA in adopting honorary members should be followed. He said honorary members should not be attached to a particular PMA class. Instead, they should be attached to the PMA organization as a whole.

Section 5, Article 2 of the PMAAA Amended Bylaws reads: “Honorary membership does not need the endorsement of a PMA class; neither shall honorary members be adopted by a class.”

“A nominee should not have any class affiliation. That's the policy, but it's violated,” Samonte said.

Samonte said these honorary members should not be “trooping the line” or marching with PMA alumni during the annual homecoming. “They can go with the board, but they shouldn’t go with the class.”

PART 2: Record number of PMA adoptees running in polls

PART 3: Villar has more 'mistahs' to promote than Gibo