PMA and the national elections

MANILA, Philippines – Some graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) shift from serving in the military to working in the civilian bureaucracy later on in their careers.

Some of them have been appointed as secretaries of executive departments, serving at the pleasure of the President. (READ: From Cory to Noynoy: PMAers in the Cabinet)

Others decided to join politics and run in various national or local elective posts.

Not all of them, though, were lucky enough to get elected. 

So far, Filipinos have elected one retired soldier as president, and a handful of PMA alumni as senators.

Here’s a list of some former PMA cadets who ran for national posts.

Ruperto Kangleon Class 1916 Won in the 1953 senatorial elections

Eulogio Balao Class 1931 Won in the 1957 senatorial elections

Fidel Ramos Class 1951 (1st year at PMA, but finished at the US Military Academy) Won in the 1992 presidential elections

Fortunato Abat Class 1951 Lost in the 1992 senatorial elections

Ramon Montaño Class 1957 Lost in the 2004 and 2013 senatorial elections

Renato de Villa Class 1957 Lost in the 1998 presidential elections

Rodolfo Biazon Class 1961 Won in the 1992, 1998 and 2004 senatorial elections, lost in the 1995 senatorial elections

Alexander Aguirre Class 1961 Lost in the 1992 senatorial elections

Lisandro Abadia Class 1962 Lost in the 1998 senatorial elections

Gregorio Honasan Class 1971 Won in the 1995, 2001, 2007, and 2013 senatorial elections

Panfilo Lacson Class 1971 Won in the 2001 and 2007 senatorial elections, lost in the 2004 presidential elections

Danilo Lim Class 1978 (1st year at PMA, but finished at the US Military Academy) Lost in the 2010 senatorial elections

Ariel Querubin Class 1979 Lost in the 2010 senatorial elections

Ramon Mitra III Class 1988 Lost in the 2010 senatorial elections

Antonio Trillanes IV Class 1995 Won in the 2007 and 2013 senatorial elections

– Rappler.com

References: We Were Soldiers: Military Men in Politics and the Bureaucracy by Glenda M. Gloria; Department of National Defense; gov.ph; Wikipedia; Newsbreak

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