SENATORS yesterday asked the Department of National Defense to explain why the government has stopped accepting cadets from the US to study at the Philippine Military Academy since 2008, but has been sending junior and senior military officers for schooling in a military school in Beijing.
Sen. Francis Tolentino said it is alarming because the country stopped accepting cadets from a “treaty ally” but sends the country’s military officers to a country which “bullies” Philippine vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Defense Senior Undersecretary Irineo Espino, during a Senate hearing, said he does not know why the Philippine government stopped accepting American cadets.
“I also asked that question, why the US stopped sending cadets,” said Espino who served as PMA superintendent before he retired from the service in 2013.
Espino also said Tolentino might be referring to the General Staff Course (GSC) and Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) courses being offered by China to Philippine military officials.
“Only GSC and MNSA counterparts were availed by the officers of the AFP. I have to check if there are (PMA) cadets sent to China academy,” Espino said.
Tolentino said he observed during hearings of the Commission on Appointments that numerous military officers had stated in their resumés they have studied in a military academy in Beijing.
He said this is questionable because the US still accepts PMA cadets to study in its military academy.
“Ano ang rationale nito? Pero nakikita ko sa bio-data at graduate ng Beijing? Sa treaty ally natin hindi tayo tumatanggap, yung nagha-harass sa atin sa West Philippine Sea ay pinapadala naman natin ang ating mag kadete na galing PMA. (What is the rationale for this? I have been seeing in their bio-data that they graduated in Beijing. We have not been accepting [cadets] from our treaty ally, but we send cadets from the Philippine Military Academy to the one that harasses us in the West Philippine Sea),” Tolentino said.
He said he is wondering if military doctrines being taught by Beijing to the Philippines’ military officers are aligned with that of the Philippines’ the armed forces.
Tolentino said the DND should submit its explanation in writing before the Senate Committee on National Defense to clear things up.
“So, meron tayong magiging heneral na graduate ng Beijing, tapos at the same time meron din tayong pinapadala sa Annapolis. Tuloy-tuloy ito. (So, we will have generals who will graduate in Beijing and at the same time we send cadets to Annapolis. This is continuing.) There must be a reason why they stopped sending cadets from the US. And then can you provide this committee why you started sending cadets to the Beijing Military Academy, I don’t know if that that is the correct name for that institution (in China),” he said.
He said Filipino military officials sent to China can possibly be not paying for anything for their schooling in Beijing. He expressed fears they would pledge allegiance to China in the long run.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo said sending Filipino military officers for schooling in Beijing should be immediately stopped.
“This has to stop. Sampal ito sa atin, binu-bully tayo ng China, then yung ating military walang magawa. Tapos ngayon, yung military natin hindi kayang harapin ang China para sabihin na ‘Stop!’ Tapos pinapa-aral natin sa China. Parang sampal sa atin yun
(This has to stop. This is like a slap on our face because China is bullying us. Our military is helpless and cannot do anything to tell China to stop. And then we send our officers to China? This is a slap on our face),” he said.
Tulfo also said China’s offer of schooling is a way of “promoting influence globally.”
He said China has ventured in entertainment, education, “now in military,” and through the Belt and Road Initiative.
“Yung military na-infiltrate na nila sa pamamagitan ng pagbigay ng free education sa mga generals natin and then what happens after mag-graduate, yung mga generals diyan may utang na loob sa China (Our military has been infiltrated by China by way of offering free education to our generals. Then what happens after they graduate is that they will be having a sense of gratitude to China),” Tulfo said.
