Trillanes, Magdalo offer to help Cudia get college degree to enter UP Law

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV offered Wednesday to help dismissed Philippine Military Academy cadet Jeff Aldrin Cudia to get his academic degree in the latter’s bid to be a lawyer.

“Ang pagkakaalam ko ang in-affirm ng Supreme Court is the right of PMA to dismiss him. Ngayon 'yung pagbibigay sa kanya ng degree ibang proseso 'yun. It can be given,” said Trillanes, a member of the PMA Class of 1995.

He was asked in a news forum what could happen to Cudia's plan to enter the University of the Philippines College of Law after the SC junked his petition questioning his dismissal from the military academy.

Trillanes said it was possible for Cudia to still get his academic degree despite being dismissed.

The SC on Tuesday junked with finality Cudia’s petition.

The cadet was dismissed from the PMA for allegedly lying about the reason he was late for a class.

The SC said the PMA did not violate Cudia's right to due process when it enforced its rules on discipline, including the Honor Code, for lying.

It added the case was subsumed under (the PMA's) academic freedom" because the establishment of rules governing university-student relations, particularly those pertaining to student discipline, could be regarded as vital, not merely to the smooth and efficient operation of the institution, but to its very survival."

Trillanes said he and the Magdalo group were trying to find a way to contact Cudia and help him.

“Naghahanap kami ng linya kay Mr. Cudia para matulungan namin siya in that regard dahil we can make representations para makuha man lang niya yung academic degree niya and we want to help,”  said.

“Kami we want to help and, in fact, nung nabasa ko yung nakapasa siya sa bar exam, we can even offer a scholarship for him,” the senator added.

Magdalo is a group of soldiers involved in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny against then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. They were jailed for their act but some of them, including Trillanes, were granted amnesty and joined politics.

Cudia recently passed the University of the Philippines' Law Aptitude Examination.

His father has earlier said that he was no longer interested in joining the military.

“Hindi na po kami nangangarap na siya ay pumasok pa sa military. Ang gusto na lang po namin ay makuha niya ang diploma niya mula sa PMA para po siya ay makapag-aral muli,” Renato Cudia said.

PMA Tri-Service Curriculum

The PMA has a curriculum different from those of other higher education institutions. The academy calls it the Tri-Service Curriculum, which has three components:

the PMA Core Curriculum;
the Major Service Curriculum (to prepare the cadet for a chosen branch of service); and
the Specialization Core Curriculum.

According to the PMA website, the Specialized Core Curriculum has "subjects that will enable the cadet to graduate with the degree in his chosen field of specialization."
 
The PMA website also said, "Cadets majoring in Engineering, upon reaching firstclass year, select from among the following specialized engineering fields:
 
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Communications Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Marine Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering

GMA News Online is determining if Cudia was able to complete the degree requirements for the engineering field he chose when he was a PMA cadet. —NB, GMA News