BY VICTOR REYES

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City – The valedictorian of this year’s Philippine Military Academy Class of Baghawi (Bagong Halaw ng Lahi) on Tuesday asked his classmates to be "agents of positive change" and uphold their "duty and mandate of being the protector of the people and our Constitution."

In his valedictory address, now Navy Ensign Ariel Rallos told the 219 other members of the class "to exhibit the values and character that we have developed during our years of stay here in the academy."

"We have proven our worth as cadets having been declared graduates. But our commitment should not stop here. We should continue to strive for excellence and to make remarkable contributions to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the people and the nation," he said.

The graduation rites were presided by President Arroyo. Security in the PMA compound was tight, apparently due to supposed threats on Arroyo’s life from terrorist groups. Civilians, including mediamen, had to pass at least three inspections before they could reach the PMA grandstand.

A total of 119 members of the class are going to the Army, 57 to the Navy and 44 to the Air Force.

AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said there is no need to "rework" the constitutional provision that Rallos brought up his in speech and which Esperon said was used by military adventurists to justify their attempts to overthrow government.

He was referring to Section 3, Article II that states: "Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory."

"We don’t have to rework it but should there be some work on this, then probably we can look at that. But in the Armed Forces today, we understand our role and so this is our way of saying also that the military must not be expected to intervene in political matters," Esperon said.

He cited the explanation of Fr. Joaquin Bernas, a member of the constitutional commission that drafted the 1987 Charter, on that provision which was invoked by officers in intervening in political issues, even as early as the 1980s.

Former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim cited the provision during the November 29 standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel which the military said was an attempted power grab. Lim read a statement while in the hotel, calling for President Arroyo’s ouster.

"Fr. Bernas explained it so well... The term ‘protector of the people and the state’ reckons to the martial law days. It is emphasizing really that the civilian authority is supreme to the military but what is important in Sec. III...is that the goal of the armed forces is to secure the sovereignty and territory," Esperon said.

Maj. Gen. Leopoldo Maligalig, PMA superintendent, said Baghawi Class is the first batch to been trained under the PMA’s Roadmap to 2015.