Palace says PMA alumni’s paid ad vs. Trillanes reflects AFP sentiment

Malacañang on Friday viewed the call of several graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) to remove opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV from its alumni roster as a reflection of the “overall sentiment” of the military.

But the embattled senator has claimed the signatories in the paid ad thought they were merely signing an attendance sheet when their signatures were collected last year.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. made the statement after a newspaper ran a paid ad of the Mindanao-based Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Inc.- Eagle Fraternal Chapter which declared that they were ostracizing Trillanes and recommending his expulsion from the association.

Trillanes, a former Navy officer, is a member of PMA “Marilag” Class of 1995.

“His pattern of behavior shown in several instances as a coup plotter during the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003 and Manila Peninsula Siege in 2007; a senator with abrasive behavior during Senate hearing; a Filipino citizen with utter disregard and rudeness to authorities such as the Office of the President is an obvious display of conduct unbecoming of a public official and questionable mental health, fond of creating discord and divisiveness instead of his supposed duties to create policies to establish a well-ordered society,” the group said.

The group also said Trillanes’ actions were contrary to the PMA’s motto of courage, integrity and loyalty “thereby seriously damaging the honor and prestige of this revered institution.”

They also called the senator a “disgrace” to the PMA, a “great embarassment” to its alumni and a “very unworthy role model” to the Cadet Corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The PMAAI-Eagle Fraternal Chapter said its members include those in government and business sector as well as current police and military officers.

“That reflects the overall sentiment of the military,” Roque said when asked to comment on the group’s statement.

The Palace official said the chain of command remained intact despite Trillanes’ claim that some military officers support his fight against President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to void the amnesty given to him by the Aquino administration in 2011.

Attendance sheet?

At a press conference on Thursday, Trillanes had already said some members of the PMA alumni group which put out the ad have come forward to reveal they were not made aware that their signatures will be used for the advertisement.

"Pinapauna na nila [na] attendance sheet daw ang pinirmahan nila nong October 17 [2017]. So hindi po totoo iyan, unless you can interview each and every one of them and they will stand by what was published," Trillanes said, without saying what the October 2017 alumni event was for.

Asked how many alumni approached him to clarify their positions, Trillanes said a "significant number... reached out to us."

Trillanes said his camp also did a "random checking" of the signatories in the paid aid and found out that, "sinasabi na nga nila na hindi iyon totoo... [So] ginagamit ang AFP."

"Gusto nila palabasin na galit sa akin ang mga PMA-er," saying that he respects PMAers' opinion and admitted that the institution's graduates really have varying loyalties.

Trillanes also claimed that the "Eagle Fraternal Chapter" is just a group of PMA alumni from Davao but is not recognized by the PMAAAI.

"There is no such official chapter ng PMAAA. Eagle organization, sila iyon, mga PMA-er iyon but there is no such recognized chapter of the PMAAA," he said.

Trillanes said even if the PMA group indeed carries the position indicated in the ad, he respected its opinion but warned the group that it was "unnecessarily exposing themselves in this political episode."

Duterte, in a nationally televised interview on Tuesday, dared soldiers who may be sympathetic to Trillanes to oust him from power through a mutiny, but Roque said it was only the President’s way of expressing his belief that nobody in the military actually wants to remove him from office.

The President, who made good on his promise to double the salary of soldiers and policemen this year, has also slammed Trillanes for not doing anything for the welfare of the military. — MDM, GMA News