AFP says cadet asking for President's wristwatch is 'not common, acceptable'
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed that a cadet asked for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s wristwatch during the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)'s graduation ceremony in May.
AFP spokesperson Francel Margareth Padilla told GMA News that the cadet's action was unusual and unacceptable.
“It's actually an isolated case that does not reflect the overall culture and training of the academy," Padilla is quoted as saying. "Ito, ang nangyari dito, it was in a moment of euphoria. He was facing the President and he made a mistake. This behavior is neither common nor acceptable."
Padilla said the PMA took action immediately upon knowing the incident and punished the cadet.
“Hindi naman siya dismissed," he added.
The cadet is now assigned to the Philippine Air Force.
Padilla's statement came a week after Vice President Sara Duterte, in a press conference on Oct. 18, said she imagined cutting Marcos's head off for supposedly refusing to give his watch to a PMA cadet.
Marcos and Duterte can be seen attending the May ceremony together, though the vice president didn't specify if she was talking about that particular occasion.
Duterte recalled overhearing Marcos and the cadet in question when the president handed the cadet's diploma.
"Sabi nung graduate, 'Mr. President, can I have your watch as a graduation gift?' Ang sagot niya, 'Why, why would I give you my watch?'" she said.
Duterte said she felt bad for the cadet and wanted to give her watch if she could, except that she's the vice president.
She said Marcos's refusal was the point that she wanted to decapitate him. Worse, two people beside her were laughing at the cadet.
"I imagine myself cutting his head," she said. "Narealize kong toxic na, di ba? Ganyan na 'yung imagination mo, sinasakal mo na 'yung tao."
In a PMA graduation ceremony in 2019, a cadet asked for former president Rodrigo Duterte's wristwatch, and he granted the request.