PNoy personally studying cadet Cudia's dismissal

President Benigno Aquino III is personally studying Cadet Aldrin Jeff Cudia's appeal in connection with his much publicized dismissal from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), a Malacañang official said Thursday.

"Kanina lang po ay nandoon ako sa tanggapan ng Pangulo at sinabi niyang pinag-aaralan niya yung appeal," Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said during a press conference.

The Palace made the announcement with just a few days before Aquino leads the PMA commencement exercises, where Cudia was supposed to graduate with honors.

“Isa yan sa mga factors na tinitingnan, the timeliness of the decision,” said Coloma. “[Pero] lahat po ng mga relevant considerations ay isasaalang-alang ng ating Pangulo. Truth and fairness are the primary guideposts in deciding this appeal.”

Cudia's dismissal has already been upheld by the PMA Cadet Review and Appeals Board. He was originally dismissed from the academy in February after the PMA Honor Committee found him guilty of violating the PMA's Honor Code.

The violation was committed when Cudia supposedly lied about the reason why he was two minutes late for a class.

Cudia appealed the punishment, leading to the Honor Committee's review of the case.

Coloma described the PMA Honor Code as an “essential building block on the character formation of future leaders and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

“Its basic objective is to prepare and fortify the mindset and the value set of the prospective Armed Forces officer as these will eventually be put to a severe test in the battlefield and arenas of conflict, where the officer will be deployed upon commissioning,” he said. — KBK, GMA News