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May he remain true to his ideals.
In his speech at the Philippine Military Academy graduation ceremony in Baguio on Sunday, March 15, Cadet First Class Arwi Chiday Martinez — the valedictorian of the Philippine Military Academy Sinaglahi Class of 2015 — urged his colleagues not to rush into military actions at the cost of peace,” reports ABS-CBNnews.com.
The report noted: “The Benguet-born Martinez led a total of 172 members of the PMA Sinaglahi, which stands for ‘Sundalong Isinilang na may Angking Galing at Lakas, Handang Ipaglaban and Bayan.'” Martinez likewise received the Presidential Saber from President Benigno Aquino III.
Martinez stated, “History would remind us that the most costly mistake of strategy came not from our restraint but from the willingness to rush into military actions without thinking about the immediate and long term consequences of waging war.”
He added, “It will be our generation’s task and responsibility to heed, act, and respond to this aspiration for peace. The challenge that we face right now is how we will effectively put into reality the lessons that we have learned here in the academy, to become good leaders espousing the values of courage, integrity and loyalty in selfless service towards achieving a long lasting peace and prosperity for our country.”
Martinez is a Baguio native. He attended the Loakan Elementary School and Baguio City National High School-Loakan Annex. He had always dreamed of becoming a PMA cadet.
