PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar on Monday announced a change of leadership at the PNP Academy amid the ongoing investigation into the death of a cadet due to ‘hazing’ last week.

The top cop said that PNPA director, Major Gen. Rhoderick B. Armamento swapped positions with PNP Directorate for Information and Communications Technology director, Maj. Gen. Alexander J. Sampaga.

Armamento, designated as PNPA director in June 2020 belongs to PNPA Class 1990 while Sampaga is a product of PNPA Class 1989.

“During my visit to the wake of Cadet 3rd Class George Carl Magsayo, I had the opportunity to talk with his mother who narrated stories of his childhood dream of becoming a police officer and how he started to build it with his entry to the Philippine National Police Academy,” Gen. Eleazar said.

“And I am disheartened that the very institution which he considered as a second home and fully trusted for protection, for learning, and for honing of skills to be an officer of the law in the future had failed him.

This is not what we in the Philippine National Police had in mind and envisioned when we aggressively fought for several years for the total supervision of the PNPA. This method of inflicting physical pain and other twisted concepts of instituting discipline and imposing punishment on cadets must stop, and it starts now,” he added.

As part of the review of rules and regulations and academic policies and aggressive reforms he ordered for the Academy, Gen. Eleazar said he approved the designation of Maj. Gen. Sampaga as new PNPA director and Armamento as new DICTM head effective Wednesday.

“As a PNPA alumnus himself, I expect PMGen Sampaga to bring in innovative ideas and fresh perspectives that would effectively implement the necessary adjustments in further improving the institution for each cadet to live up to its core values of Justice, Integrity, and Service,” he said.

The PNP chief said a criminal case is set to be filed against Cadet 2nd Class Steven Ceasar Maingat tin connection with the death of Cadet 3rd Class Magsayo.

“This is separate from the administrative cases that would be filed against him which I assure to be the grounds for his dismissal from the Academy. Let this serve as a stern warning to all the PNPA cadets that the PNP leadership will never tolerate this misbehavior and serious breach of discipline and moral values,” he said.
“To the PNPA cadets, the Filipino people expect so much from you as their scholars and future protectors. Do not fail them again,” he added.
Gen. Eleazar ordered a full investigation into the death of Magsayo, a 21-year old native of Pagadian City who was reportedly punched several times in the stomach by his upperclassman in full violation of the Anti-Hazing Law.

An initial investigation showed that at around 5:40 p.m. Thursday, Magsayo and an unnamed classmate reportedly went to the room of the accused. Inside, Maingat reportedly cautioned his two underclassmen but later went on to punch the victim at least five times in the stomach.

The heavy punches thrown on him caused the victim to lose consciousness. Fellow cadets were quick to give him aid and alert their officers who then immediately called an ambulance from the Academy Health Service.

However, the victim was declared dead upon arrival at the Qualimed Hospital by an attending physician 6:43 in the evening. Magsayo tested negative for COVID-19 when subjected to an RT-PCR test.

“May mga nasawi na noon at marami na rin ang naparusahan at na-kick out sa Philippine National Police Academy dahil sa pananakit ng kapwa kadete. Kaya nakakalungkot na may ganito na namang trahedyang naganap dahil may mga iilan pa ring kadete na matitigas ang ulo at tila hindi pa rin naiitindihan ang mga patakaran at batas lalo na sa Anti-Hazing Law,” Gen. Eleazar said.

Armamento assured the PNP chief that an extensive investigation is being conducted to ferret out the truth about what happened. He added that a PNP Special Task Group headed by his chief of staff, Colonel Ernesto Tendero has been created to lead the internal investigation of the incident.

Gen. Eleazar again stressed the need for all the cadets to stick to the core values of the PNPA.

“Hindi sa sakitan at sa bugbugan nahuhubog ang pagkatao ng isang kadete o kahit ninuman kung hindi sa magagandang aral, matalinong palitan ng ideya at tamang pagpapasunod ng kabutihang asal,” he said.

“Those are the essence of learning process especially in an academic institution that trains future leaders of the BJMP, the BFP and the Philippine National Police. We cannot claim to be products of an institution that puts premium on integrity, service and justice if we cannot practice them on ourselves,” he added.