IN May 1802, as part of an overall plan to strengthen his army for the coming conquest of Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte established the Ecole Speciale Militaire de St. Cyr (Special Military School of St. Cyr). Today St. Cyr, the foremost French military academy, continues to provide military officers for France. The motto of the school is “They Study to Vanquish.” Graduates are known as “St. Cyriens.”
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In October 1898, in a bid to modernize Filipino revolutionary forces, President and General-in-Chief Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree establishing the Academia Militar in the town of Malolos, Bulacan. According to research work done by historian Col. Cesar Pobre, the Academia Militar had a structure and curriculum that was consistent with the objectives of a military institution of learning.
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On Dec. 2, 1805, outnumbered French forces under Emperor Napoleon defeated the combined armies of Emperors Alexander of Russia and Francis of Austria, at the Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors. Austerlitz is a small village near Brno in what is now the Czech Republic. The French suffered some 9,000 casualties as against 25,000 on the Russian and Austrian sides. Austerlitz is considered one of Napoleon’s greatest victories. Some historians describe the battle as the Corsican’s most brilliant and decisive victory.
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On Dec. 2, 1899, the Battle of Tirad Pass was fought between American forces in hot pursuit of Gen. Aguinaldo and a small band of Filipino soldiers under Gen. Gregorio del Pilar. Their mission was to slow down or delay the advance of US troops to allow Aguinaldo more time for withdrawal and the establishment of new defensive positions in the north.
Reporting on the Battle of Tirad Pass, American correspondent John McCutcheon, who was accompanying US forces, wrote: “The fight above the clouds at Tila Pass (the American name) where the trail crosses the big Cordilleras from Ilocos Sur was in many respects, the crowning achievement of the war.
“To a certain degree, it was a last stand and the only fight which can be compared in character of ground-fighting and desperation of resistance, although certainly not in magnitude, to such fights as Thermopylae and Dargai Ridge. How stubbornly contested the position was may be seen from the fact that a small force of insurgents held back a battalion of Texans for nearly five hours and how loyal and devoted the Filipinos were, is told by the grim record that they left behind them. There were 52 killed (including Gen. Del Pilar) and wounded, out of sixty.”
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Two events that transpired almost a century apart in two different locations continue to exemplify the best traits of the soldier: courage, sacrifice, loyalty and love of country.
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Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City is the home of the Philippine Military Academy. Named after the revolution’s youngest general and the hero of Tirad Pass, the Fort represents the premier military institution of the land.
With the abolition of the ROTC program, the PMA has become the principal source of military leaders for the Armed Forces. Until the establishment of the Philippine National Police Academy, the PMA also provided officers for the national police organization.
Today you will find Peemayers not just in key positions of the armed services but also in civilian positions. From time to time this situation has been the subject of militarization charges brought against administrations that have seen fit to utilize retired military personnel in government.
A quick glance at the current Cabinet lineup shows the power and influence held by PMA graduates:
Executive Secretary—Eduardo Ermita (Class of 1957)
Energy Secretary—Angelo Reyes (Class of 1966)
DOTC Secretary—Leandro Mendoza (Class of 1969)
DPWH Secretary—Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. (Class of 1970) (recently resigned)
There are more Peemayers at the sub-cabinet and government corporation levels, as well as in our foreign service.
In the Senate, we have four senators: Rodolfo Biazon (Class of 1961), Gregorio Honasan (Class of 1971), Panfilo Lacson (Class of 1971), and Antonio Trillanes IV (Class of 1995). Four senators, four different party affiliations.
Among those who completed the four-year course at Fort Del Pilar, perhaps the most outstanding is Renato De Villa, Class of 1957, a former Constabulary chief, AFP Chief of Staff, Secretary of National Defense, Executive Secretary and presidential candidate. (The best known St. Cyr alumnus is Gen. Charles De Gaulle, class of 1912 and first President of the Fifth Republic of France.)
Last Saturday the PMA marked its 111th foundation anniverary with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro as the guest of honor. For Teodoro it was his last Foundation Day as Secretary of National Defense:
“I bid each and everyone of you farewell. This is the last Foundation Day that I will participate in as Secretary of National Defense. I thank each and everyone of you for three Foundation Days, for the time that you have supported the department on reforms that we sought to introduce which you embraced wholeheartedly and willingly.” Earlier he urged a “No Compromise” policy against violations of the Honor Code, saying, “What makes you cadets different from other government scholars is a commitment to abide by a strict code of conduct that is the Honor Code.”
Teodoro also called for competence. “We are not merely here to be robots and soldiers but thinking men and women that will lead our people with clarity and foresight.” He stressed the importance of communication skills as a tool for leadership and as a tool for action.
Of all the officials who have served as defense secretary none has shown more concern for the PMA than Gilberto Teodoro. He leaves at a time when he is most needed.
A word on the current PMA Superintendent: Vice Adm. Leonardo Calderon, Jr. is the youngest member of Class 1976. His retirement date is set for March 2011, which means he will be around long after all his classmates would have left the service. A younger brother of former PNP chief Oscar Calderon, his future depends to a large extent on the outcome of the May elections.
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Last call! The much-awaited International Bazaar of the foreign diplomatic corps and selected local business outlets is scheduled for this coming Sunday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the PICC, Roxas Boulevard. Bargains galore await all comers.
