By: Lakan Stella Marie A Delizo
It was on the 15th day of October in the year of 2004 when more than 24,000 young men and women flocked to the testing centers nationwide to take the Philippine National Police Academy Cadet Admission Test. They were all hoping to be a part of the Long Blue Line, a time to take the first steps towards their destiny.
Among the tens of thousands who dared to dream, only 1,547 were called to take a step further by going through medical, dental, and neuropsychiatric examinations, physical fitness tests, and interviews. Each of them was screened batch by batch, one by one.
These co-dreamers faded away in every test until only 315 remained to comprise the members of the Class of 2009. As aspirants, they filled their pockets with prayers and dreams on April 4, 2005. Well-wishes from friends and families filled the foggy air of the Campos Grandstand that drizzling morning of their Reception Day.
It is true that the first step is the hardest. The moment they raised their hands and swore membership as cadets, they knew they were no longer sons and daughters of their parents but sons and daughters of our motherland- and they were going to take its toll.
It is true that the first step is the hardest. The moment they raised their hands and swore membership as cadets, they knew they were no longer sons and daughters of their parents but sons and daughters of our motherland—and they were going to take its toll.
After the word “Take Charge” had been given by the Commandant of Cadets, Police Superintendent Hubert Blaquera Tuzon, those venerated ladies and gentlemen in dress coats who marched perfectly in cadence became the most vicious creatures they never imagined on their Reception Day.
The Reception, the first “tion” of cadetship, became the longest day of their lives, turning an ordinary day into pandemonium. Deafening screams, endless orders, and thunderous voices of the upperclassmen echoed in the vicinity of the Camp. For their guests that day who became witnesses, it was a disheartening sight. But that day did not hinder their moving on. The greatest turnabout of their lives began with that event that led to their breaking period. Apparently, it was but a bird’s-eye view of cadet life.
They were called plebes or Sheep, the lowest-ranking mammal in the Corps; therefore, “change” had to be fast. Shedding their old carefree ways was never easy. The Bagsay-Lahi Class of 2006 became their Immediate Supervisors. They were the Shepherds, the highest-ranking mammals in the Corps, their patient and dedicated mentors. They lived each day at a time and acquired habits, characteristics, and skills through them. After a couple of weeks, 13 turned-back members from Class 2008 and 22 late receptionists were added to their roster of ranks.
On the second day of May of that same year, they had established an identity that would leave a mark for a lifetime. With the hallowed grounds of the Academy as the silent witness, the Class name Kaisang-Bisig was born, reflecting the Class’ strong unity and determination towards a common goal. The passion for excellence further flourished as the members of the Class selected their seal, color, and song. The Class seal was drawn by Cadet Ceasar Arjay Reyes to symbolize the character and aspirations of the Class. The song “Go the Distance” resonated with their fortitude to stand strong and move onward. The color royal blue depicted their Class’s leadership in the making.
In the midst of the rigors of training, the Class believed that there was a dire need to choose people to lead. On May 16, 2005, they voted for a set of officers to fuel the philosophy of the Class and enliven its spirit. As the melting pot season ended, 25 in their class resigned and 2 were turned back to the next lower class for medical reasons, including some of their officers.
Rain for others marks a start, as it did for them, of a new trial. The Kaisang-Bisig Class of 2009 marked the day of mettle as they were incorporated with the upperclass on June 11, 2005. It signaled the beginning of the academic training.
Their upperclassmen were on break that October 17, 2005, so they were temporarily free from their scrutinizing eyes. They were the “Kings and Queens” of the barracks while the upperclassmen were on break. They saw it as an opportunity to practice leadership and developed a sense of responsibility amongst themselves.
The proof of their leadership during the semestral break was satisfactory, but it was not enough to be worthy of the standards of the Upperclassmen. The Class was gradually given greater responsibilities and subjected to greater pressures. Change is inevitable. Mid-December, Police Senior Superintendent Balligi Agnanayon Briones Tira and Police Superintendent Ceasar Hawthorne Rivera Binag were appointed as the Director and Commandant of Cadets, respectively, along with the set of new Tactical Officers.
Though away from their loved ones, its celebration was never lonesome with the chance to run the Corps by themselves as plebes. They underwent the Moral Recovery and Financial Management Programs and enjoyed scenic spots at Subic Bay, like the Ocean Adventure and Camayan Beach Resort. They welcomed the New Year and were treated to a year-end party with the Commandant and his family.
At the commencement of the second semester, they would be trained to be the finest of metals purified further by fire. They were subjected to a test of character. They were grateful for the time, experiences, and guidance from their upperclassmen that made them tougher and wiser than before.
On February 25, 2006, they marched to form the octagon in full dress white for their Recognition Rites and they received the most awaited handshake from the upperclass Corps. It was a sign of victory over their own selves, living up according to the standards of the Corps. The privileges that they once lost were regained, and they felt a sense of achievement in the sacred grounds of the Academy.
Too soon, the first academic year of the class was over. Their Class divided into two groups, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta underwent several academic seminars, while Echo, Foxtrot, Gold, and Hawk groups pursued the Police Intervention Course. And after almost a month, they swapped courses.
As Class 2010 was incorporated, their class welcomed them with eagerness to share their knowledge and look after their welfare as their younger brothers and sisters. They were responsible for teaching them the things they did not learn during their breaking period. Amidst the harsh academic and tactical mettle, they managed to hurdle the challenges of their third-class year.
Because knowledge is not gained only inside the four walls of the Academy, in May of 2007, they were received by the Special Action Force Training School at Fort Santo Domingo at Santa Rosa, Laguna. It was the first time that the Academy’s Alumni assigned to the Special Action Force Training School were in full force to receive the 312 members of Class 2009, the largest class they handled.
It was at the beginning of the second semester, the new set of class officers was chosen to take the class to further heights, electing Cdt Heidel Te-elan. as their Class President.
With full enthusiasm, the ruling Class of 2008 gradually turned over the responsibilities to them to take charge of the Corps for the next Academic Year on March 25, 2008. It was the long-awaited moment of each member of the Class-gratifying but often the most complicated. The Class faced the greatest challenge of handling the Corps, indeed a test of leadership and maturity on their part to prove their worth. They were being looked up to by their underclassmen. They were now the ruling class.
During the summer of 2008, the Class was divided into three sets. The first set handled the Class of 2012 as Immediate Supervisors. The second set underwent Close Quarter Battle training. The third set had their summer break.
For Class 2008, the experience of being an Immediate Supervisor brought back memories of them once being in Sheep’s shoes. As a shepherd who tends to a flock of sheep, Class 2008 provided a sense of direction to the underclass as they returned back to the old color of the Academy-maroon.
They smelled the gunpowder at the Close Quarter Battle! Four classes went on simultaneous events; the other set of our Class went on Close Quarter Battle on April 1, 2008. The Counter-Insurgency Program of the Philippine National Police was a pre-condition in the curriculum. They were taught Marksmanship Training, Rifle and Pistol Drills and Crisis Management Skills under Police Senior Inspector Walter Pasicolan and Police Chief Inspector Rex Arvin Malimban of the National Capital Region Police Office-Light Reaction Unit.
Four years had gone by swiftly, the last of their Academic semester. They were brave enough to face destiny and their choice of bureaus. Unlike some of the classes ahead of them, the turnout for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology was greater than expected. They decided to rank themselves in the order of merit, something that the class had to be proud of. It was due recognition for those who strove hard to join their chosen bureaus. How professional. They were setting things rationally on their own, believing the Class could serve the country better if their choice came from the heart.
But not everyone finished the academic race. The heavy downpour of rain on August 16, 2008, caused Cadet Reagan Marquina to drown while saving the life of Cadet Alvarez at the creek located inside the Academy. Efforts and attempts were made by the officers and several members of the class to save Marquina’s life, but it was futile.
It was the first time in the history of the Academy that a First Class Cadet died of an accident. It was also the first time in the history of the Academy that a whole class attended the burial of a classmate. And then they had to accept the fact that they needed to move on.
With an aim to further enhance their knowledge and live the theories we were taught. The Cadet Attachment Program was conceptualized. It would familiarize them with the tri-bureaus they had chosen on their organizational structure and culture.
The Cadet Attachment Program gave them the opportunity to feel what it was “to be” and understand beyond what is taught inside the Academy.
Upon their arrival from Cadet Attachment Program, preparations for their officership were deemed essential through analysis of all the observations, lectures, and practical exercises. They were subjected to practical exercises, testing what they had learned in the academy. Then, they underwent a series of tests, such as the neuropsychiatric, physical, and medical examinations, to check fitness and capacity for handling their job.
At long last, their dreams were realized. On March 27, 2009, the 304 members of the Kaisang-Bisig Class of 2009 marched on the hallowed grounds of the Academy and received the most illustrious handshake from the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
They shall stand, united and strong as their class name suggests, the Kaisang-Bisig Class of 2009. They shall forever be a solid arm for public safety services. The community shall look up and hold on to them, the beacons of light and hope for our country and people.
From the first steps of their cadetship to the moment they donned their badges as public safety officers, they have forged an unbreakable bond—a class molded by discipline, strengthened by hardships, and united by purpose. Their story does not end here. It continues in every community they will serve, in every life they will protect, and in every challenge they will overcome. As guardians of peace and justice, they shall remain steadfast, embodying ideals of courage, integrity, and loyalty. At present, 284 original members are still living.
Source
Bugle Call, 2009
PNPAAAI Records, 2005
