By Marvin Garbo

Hi, Bok Jess. Circa ‘77-‘78, we were all 25 Bravo Cl’80 yearlings, namely:
1 Alesna EB
2 Andaya AC
3 Avenido MA
4 Bambico JB
5 Bautista EL
6 Bucayu FJB
7 Cabreros NL
8 Casumpang NV
9 Escalada RM
10 Estrada WC
11 Garbo MP
12 Garcia JJM
13 Heredia RDF
14 Lorenzo C
15 Luga AR
16 Ojeda SR
17 Palacio LN
18 Punay EL
19 Revilla QP
20 Romero EC
21 Sedillo CDT
22 Soriano MO
23 Servando DM
24 Tadeo RT
25 Venadas FS

When the Bravo Battery initiation of Bravo Cl’81 plebes happened, all 25 Bravo Cl’80 yearlings got involved except for Servando who was a guard on duty. Together with the 24 Bravo Cl’80 yearlings were 10 Bravo Cl’79 cows, namely:
1 Balao DO
2 Chan CL
3 Garrido EG
4 Gidaya EP
5 Javier WM
6 Laggui PT
7 Lindaya FMC
8 Maganis TP
9 Ojeda ED
10 Pascua SP

With the death of our plebe Manny Salas after the initiation, from what we know then, a corpswide physical investigation of Cl’81 plebes was conducted & almost all plebes except for those recognized already had markings because of different company initiations. But further investigation was confined only to Bravo Company, leaving us as “sacrificial lambs”.

Then after AFP GHQ/OTIG investigation/interrogation, 14 Bravo Cl’80 yearlings were called, namely:
1 Alesna EB
2 Andaya AC
3 Bambico JB
4 Casumpang NV
5 Estrada WC
6 Garbo MP
7 Heredia RDF
8 Lorenzo C
9 Luga AR* (included among 19 Bravo cl’79 2c & cl’80 3c cadets called by then PC Capt Aniano Desierto @ HTG Tactics Group Ofc when he distributed the charged sheets to them except for Luga whom Desierto told he will give his charged sheets later or to follow but which did not happen…& the rest is history)
10 Ojeda SR
11 Palacio LN
12 Revilla QP
13 Romero EC
14 Venadas FS
Together with them called by Desierto were 5 Bravo Cl’79 cows, namely:
1 Chan CL
2 Gidaya EP
3 Laggui PT
4 Lindaya FMC
5 Maganis TP

With the sudden, shall we say “mysterious”, exclusion of Luga, only 18 Bravo cadets (instead of 19) undergone GCM Trial.

Almost all 34 Bravo cows & yearlings, except for Maganis & Lorenzo i think, were promoted to 1cl & 2cl year, respectively after the 2nd Sem AY 1977-1978. The other 16 Bravo Cl’79 & Cl’80 cadets involved in the Bravo Battery, including Luga, were given an indefinite leave sometime during the summer camp of Cl’82 plebes, just after coming from Cl’80 Southern Cruise. Those of us 18 Bravo Cl’79 & Cl’80 cadets were segregated from the Corps & were transferred to Camp Allen and prepared for the GCM Trial which lasted until 15 December 1978.

Sometime in 3Q of 1979, Alesna & I belatedly learned from Venadas, when he visited us @ NISF Ft Bonifacio, of the AFP GHQ GO # 379 dtd 07 June 1979 which stated the 1-yr suspension of all the above-named 34 Bravo Cl’79 & Cl’80 cadets effective 22 June 1978 based on authority/handwritten note of the President on first indorsement of Ministry of National Defense dtd 13 December 1978.

All of those 16 non-GCM (didn’t undergo GCM Trial) Bravo Cl’79 & Cl’80 cadets, except for Cabreros, who got married already, returned to PMA & graduated with Cl’80 or Cl’81.

Those of us 18 GCM bugs, who belatedly learned of the GO # 379, later went up to PMA and got our clearance and requested/secured our honorable dismissal & TOR. We even saw then our names in the Acad Registrar’s Bulletin Board listed as returning cadets.

Servando, we learned later, got dismissed during Cl’80 firstie year. In few instances, he visited us & slept in our confinement barracks @ Camp Crame MP Company. He later worked/appealed his case & got 1-year suspension and then joined Cl’81 & graduated with them.