MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told this year’s Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduates to be ready to keep Filipinos safe and the territory secure, citing “evolving threats that harm our people and corrode social and political trust.”

The President said this in his speech at the commencement exercises of the “Bagong Sinag” Class of 2024 held on Saturday, May 18, in Baguio City, amid growing tensions in the West Philippine Sea and what he called “blatant attempts of destabilization.”

“What we are facing now are a blatant disregard of internationally accepted principles and deployment of weapons of mass destruction by parties who seek to drive a wedge between a united citizenry. But people are not fooled. They can see through such schemes,” Marcos said.

Marcos, who noted the progress in sustaining peace in Mindanao, brought up the new challenges the country faced in the international sphere. The President did not mention China but alluded to it as he mouthed similar phrases previously used by defense and security officials who had slammed China’s recent actions against the Philippines.

Marcos said that these attempts to “divert our attention” and “dissipate our energy” should not distract the latest PMA graduates from the urgent tasks of keeping Filipinos safe in their homes, the territory secure, defenses against threats strong, and democracy stable.

“No quarter will be given, but we offer peace, of the principled kind that will uproot the causes of social discontent against intruders who have been disrespecting our territorial integrity. We will vigorously defend what is ours, but our conduct always guided by law and our responsibility as a rules-abiding member of the community of nations,” he said.

Over the past months, Philippine officials have taken turns criticizing China over its continuing acts of aggression against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, as well as its claim of having forged a “gentleman’s agreement” with then-president Rodrigo Duterte and later, a supposed “new model” with the current administration, both on managing tensions in Ayungin Shoal.

Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. and other top Philippine officials have denied the existence of the “new model” in Ayungin Shoal. Teodoro said that China’s latest claim was meant to “advance another falsehood in order to divide our people and distract us from their unlawful presence and actions in our EEZ.”

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Philippine allies such as the United States, Japan, and Australia, among others, have backed up the Philippines as China disregards the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated the latter’s sweeping claim on the South China Sea.

On Thursday, May 16, Marcos backed a probe into Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo‘s background, who has been suspected of being a Chinese asset. She was summoned to a Senate hearing over Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) that were raided in her town.

‘Blatant destabilization,’ fight vs ‘disinformation, infiltration’

In his speech, the President said that his envisioned Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) is experiencing “birth pains – sadly, of opportunism, blatant attempts of destabilization, and last-ditch to cling to the rapidly disappearing past.”

“But we must be resolute. We must hold on. We cannot turn back,” he added.

Two days earlier, at Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro, Marcos had a similar message: “We will also not allow agents within the country to destabilize our government and create division within our nation.”

On May 7, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed that active senior officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are involved in an ouster plot against the President, and that former president Rodrigo Duterte was allegedly behind it.

During his PMA speech on Saturday, Marcos directed the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to review the PMA curriculum to ensure that future cadets would be equipped with 21st century challenges.

In calling for the review, he particularly noted the need to educate cadets about disinformation attacks. China has also been found to be disseminating propaganda to sway opinion in favor of their claim on the Philippine waters.

“I direct the DND and the AFP leadership to review the PMA curriculum, to ensure that our cadets will be equipped with the 21st century skills necessary to counter conventional and asymmetric threats. In the digital battlefield, a clear vision for truth, integrity, and patriotism are necessary tools to combat attempts at disinformation and infiltration,” he said.

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The “Bagong Sinag” batch is composed of 278 cadets – 224 males, and 54 females. Cadet 1st Class Jeneth Elumba, who hails from Surigao del Norte, was named the valedictorian. She is the 7th female to finish at the top of a graduating class in the PMA’s history.

The graduates are expected to serve under the AFP’s three branches: the Philippine Army, the Philippine Air Force, and the Philippine Navy. – Rappler.com