BAGUIO MAN RECEIVES PMA CHIEF’S FIRST CHALLENGE COIN AFTER DEFENDING RECRUITMENT AD

A moviegoer who refused to stay silent when a Philippine Military Academy recruitment advertisement was allegedly disrespected inside a Baguio cinema has received the first challenge coin awarded by PMA’s new superintendent.

BAGUIO MAN RECEIVES PMA CHIEF’S FIRST CHALLENGE COIN AFTER DEFENDING RECRUITMENT ADRussel Garcia Jaravata was invited to Fort del Pilar on September 18, nearly a month after the August 24 incident.

According to the PMA, a fellow moviegoer made what the Academy described as a “disrespectful gesture” while its recruitment advertisement was playing before a film. Jaravata confronted the individual and asked for an apology. The incident was later referred to the proper authorities.

PMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael G. Logico personally thanked Jaravata for standing up not only for the Academy but also for the military personnel represented in the advertisement.

Logico presented him with the Superintendent’s Challenge Coin, a military token traditionally given in recognition of noteworthy service or conduct. It was the first challenge coin Logico had awarded since assuming the Academy’s top post on July 22.

The PMA said Jaravata’s action reflected the close relationship the Academy has cultivated with its host communities in Baguio City and Tuba, Benguet.

“Respect for the uniform is earned through service, and it carries greater meaning when citizens themselves choose to stand behind the people who wear it,” the Academy said.

PMA did not disclose the exact gesture involved, the identity of the other moviegoer, or the outcome of the matter after it was brought before authorities.