Shame on us?

The following is a "sermon" from a columnist of the Philippine Star. He is also the publisher. Shame

BY THE WAY By Max V. Soliven The Philippine Star 11/25/2004

I’m sure all your hearts sank when you read about one of our supposedly "best and brightest" being shipped home in disgrace for "alleged" theft, and a ridiculously silly caper at that. Could we ever have imagined that the just-graduated valedictorian of the Philippine Military Academy – a duly-certified "officer and gentleman" – would be caught shoplifting at the commissary in Fort Benning, USA? Army 2nd Lt. Rolly Angeles Joaquin had been caught, the American authorities averred, by surveillance cameras, switching a 50-cent discount tag from a "sale" item and affixing it to a $12 CD (compact disk) which he was purchasing. For trying to cheat on a $12.95 item, he brought down on his own head a ton of grief, probably – after court martial here – the end of his career, and worst of all, disgrace for his country. The future had been full of promise for young 2nd Lt. Joaquin when he graduated from the PMA last March. He received the PGMA achievement award for academics, the Presidential Saber (from the hands of President and Commander-in-Chief GMA herself), the Army Saber, Army professional course, natural sciences, management, and academic group awards and the JUSMAG Saber for Army. While an admiring crowd watched, listened, and applauded, graduating Cadet Joaquin delivered the Valedictory Address – the first to be granted that honor – on behalf of the Academy’s Maliyab Class of 2004. An exemplar who had topped his classes from his first year as a plebe, Joaquin who hails from Aguilar, Pangasinan, had chosen as his first field of assignment "Mindanao . . . where the action is". The United States awarded him with a study grant (via its Joint US Military Advisory Group) to train in the Basic Officers Course in Fort Benning, Georgia. Then closed-circuit TV in the Fort’s commissary allegedly caught Rolly, on film, doing that shoplifting bit. The US kicked him out of school, and sent him home to face military discipline here last October 28. Where did our youthful "hero" go wrong? For less than twelve bucks he trashed his own career and future. * * * This is the point at which opinion writers hesitate to sound preachy, owing to the old Pinoy cop-out excuse, so often bandied, sapagkat kami’y tao lamang (because we’re just human). But rectitude and high things were expected most of all from a model cadet and up-and-coming, much-bemedalled young officer like Joaquin. Some may argue that the few dollars purportedly stolen by tag-switching or shoplifting are a "small thing". However, lieutenants become generals, and in the process, find it easier and easier as time goes by to escalate from $12 to $12 million, to $120 million, – and above. Somebody once told me how John Dillinger, who ended up as Chicago’s crime boss (and had to finally be taken down by the F.B.I. and J. Edgar Hoover), became a bigtime racketeer. Dillinger started out as a young fellow stealing hubcabs, then tires. Once he "victimized" the car of a mobster. The guy caught him in the act, gave him a beating up and told him: "Young fella, you’ll never make the big time if you keep on stealing only the tires. With a little more effort, why don’t you steal the car?" From that day on, Dillinger never looked back. His bloody and violent climb to the top ended only in a blaze of gunfire in a movie theater. When we were pimply-faced college editors, full of virtue as well as full of ourselves, I used to quote as one of my favorite maxims an engraved sign in a monastery in France which went: "It is a sin to steal a pin, what more a bigger thing." Alas, 2nd Lt. Joaquin did worse than that. He betrayed himself, lost his honor, and brought grief to his country. Wasn’t it John F. Kennedy who once said: "From those to whom much is given, much is required?" Lawyers will argue that Joaquin still hasn’t been convicted in any court martial here, and must be presumed "innocent". The irreparable harm, though, has already been done. Especially to himself. * * * The inevitable comparisons are being drawn between Joaquin, PMA 2004, and Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, PMA ’71. Then there’s Major Ferdinand Ramos (PMA 1988) who’s been taken into "custody" in Fort Bonifacio under technical arrest for allegedly soliciting sexual favors from soldier-trainees. (A fascinating turn-of-phrase, the above: I cadged it from a newspaper story.) In short, did the Major force a subordinate to give him a . . . well, blow job? True, perverts and crooks have, in the past, come from the best schools and the best families. Why single out the Philippine Military Academy for opprobrium and question its training and curriculum? Yet we must. From the first year, to begin with, PMA cadets are not just granted scholarships, they are paid a monthly salary – their training is underwritten by the hard-earned money of taxpayers like you and me. PMA cadets, moreover, are trained to be leaders of our armed forces, the troops who guard our nation, our liberty, and our territorial integrity day and night. The PMA’s motto is: Courage, Integrity, Loyalty. (A spin-off from West Point’s, the US Military Academy’s Honor, Duty, Country.) Since October 25, 1898, when the PMA was established by decree of Revolutionary President (General) Emilio Aguinaldo in Malolos, Bulacan, the Academy was intended to produce leaders of men. The term "Integrity" in its escutcheon hits one immediately in the eye. A week ago, Gen. Efren Abu, our Armed Forces Chief of Staff, rang me up to say that the Philippine Military Academy wanted to invite me to be honored with a Parade and Review, and address the Corps of Cadets. The tentative date proposed couldn’t be worked out, since it was next January 29th – at a time I am supposed to be in New Delhi, India, as a guest of the Indian Government. General Abu said he would contact this writer again, with a suggested alternative date for the occasion. I wonder if the PMA will still invite me after today’s column. Yet, in a sense, this is my Message to the Cadet Corps I may never get to personally deliver. I commend to our men and women of the corps only three familiar words: Courage, Integrity, Loyalty. When all is said and done, it’s not enough for a military school, much less the elite military academy (guys like me got our commissions in combat Infantry via the ROTC and the Infantry Training Group in Camp Floridablanca), to produce men-of-war. Having covered a few wars, from rebellions here to conflicts abroad, I’ve learned that true warriors must have a code by which they live and die. In the PMA they speak about an Honor Code. Too often along the way, "honor" seems to be discarded in favor of winning – in everything and anything – at any cost. It’s not our brief to scold the PMA and piously insist that the Academy review its curriculum. Is Ethics, for example, stressed enough – or simply excelling in sports, military exercises, engineering, and sciences? Can personal "ethics", "moral values" and "rectitude" be taught in the classroom alone? In the fog of war, in the heat of battle, men’s perspectives can become warped. But not, if their eyes and their hearts are fixed, from their formative years unerringly on the ever-bright and constant star of courage, integrity and loyalty. It’s there, branded forever, into the Academy’s motto. No more need be said.

Lighting a Candle for Tatay

I received a letter from Nanay dated Nov. 11, 2004. In it she shares how she and Tatay discussed the prospect of death and their preparations for it. Tatay died May 23 last summer. Nanay shared that in her mind, she was prepared. But it was altogether different for the heart. The will and the emotions have to go through a grieving process. Letting go of a beloved one after so many decades of knowing and serving God together is extremely difficult. Tatay and Nanay got married in 1960, I think. She did not bare her soul casually.

November is especially poignant for us—Nanay and four brothers—because of All Saints’ Day and Tatay’s birthday on the 15^th, and Thanksgiving on the last week. This is a first experience for all. Remember, ASD was observed to celebrate the lives of Godly men and women who have gone ahead.

We Filipinos have always believed that we retain a connection to those who have passed away, whatever our religion. So how do we who know Jesus as Lord celebrate those who died in Christ and are alive with God?

In our culture, we have always lighted candles. However, this act is invested with meanings that may be contrary to Scripture. Could we, as Christians, invest new meanings to old cultural forms? I believe we can. When believers light a candle to celebrate a loved one who is with Christ, they could give the following good explanations:

1. Life is short. Death is sure. Mauubos ang kandila. Tatay was allowed 74 years, and he applied himself to honoring his Lord and Savior once he became a believer. No vacations from faithfulness.

2. All of us will give an account to God for how we lived our lives. By the grace of God, Tatay finished well. Someone has said, 70% of Christian leaders don’t. I hope I will. May my life “burn well.”

3. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Life wasn’t always fair to Tatay. But he focused on letting the light of Christ shine in his life. The love of Jesus and gratefulness left no room for insecurity in him, allowing a single-mindedness of purpose.

Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be blameless and innocent. You will be God's children without any faults among people who are crooked and corrupt. You will shine like stars among them in the world as you hold firmly to the word of life. Then I can brag on the day of Christ that my effort was not wasted and that my work produced results.

Philippians 2:14-16, God’s Word