PMA Alumni Association to adopt Duterte as honorary member

President Rodrigo Duterte will be adopted as an honorary member of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Inc (PMAAAI) during their homecoming at the PMA grounds in Baguio City on February 18.

“He (Duterte) is an adopted member of PMA Class 1967 and during this parade he will be formally adopted as an honorary member of the entire PMAAAI,” retired Deputy Director General Anselmo Avenido Jr., PMAAAI chairman, told reporters Tuesday.

He said that PMAAAI’s process of adopting a member is highly selective.

“In fact, last year wala kaming na-adopt na member at very stringent ang requirements na hindi lang yung mataas ang stature sa society, sa kanilang profession and kinukuha,”  Avenido said.

He said the honorary member must have contributed some important things to the benefit of the PMA and the Alumni Association “and the adoption as honorary member must have brought prestige and honor to the association.”

Avenido said based on their requirements, the prospective member must be nominated by at least three PMA classes, must have undergone the vetting by a committee, and must have been recommended by the executive committee.

He added the last requirement is all the members of the board must unanimously vote for the prospective member’s adoption.

“And that has been done in the case of our President so, on February 18, we will formally present to him his certificate of membership,” Avenido said.

He said Duterte has been an adopted member of class 1967, of which the former is a member, since 1994.

“The basis of our class in adopting him as our class member is because of his full support to all the PMAers assigned to Davao City at that time, whether police, armed forces, coast guard or even some PMArs who are already in the civilian sector. Lahat sila natulungan ng ating Pangulo noong siya pa ay mayor so we feel e karapat dapat siyang maging adopted member ng aming klase,” Avenido said.

“Pinagpatuloy niya ito kaya may move ngayon na i-formalize ‘yung kanyang relationship with PMAers through an adoption resolution at nagawa ito,” he added.

Aside from the formal adoption of Duterte as an honorary alumni, the PMAAAI will also be handing to the President their manifesto of support.

“We will also formally present to the President the manifesto of support of the association to his administration…palagay namin ay importante rin e yong aming pagpresent ng manifesto of support at doon ipinapakita namin na we are fully behind him in his efforts to maintain  peace and order in the country and his efforts towards the developments of the country,” Avenido said.

He added the presence of Duterte at the homecoming will give him the opportunity to talk to the alumni.

“It is the tradition of the association that whenever there is a new President that we invite him to talk to the alumni and this is a very good chance for him to give his guidance to us cavaliers, the PMAers,” Avenido said.

Also during the homecoming, they will also be recognizing 12 Cavalier Awardees representing 12 different categories from command administration, to staff supervision, to best in service operations, public administration, business enterprise, special field, and contribution to alumni affairs. —NB, GMA News