The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) will strengthen its counseling office to ensure good mental health of their students following the recent hazing case that claimed Cadet Fourth Class Darwin Dormitorio.

“So one of my programs as commandant of cadets to strengthen the counseling office with the mental health of our cadets,” said Brig. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., newly appointed Commandant of Cadets of PMA, in an interview with reporters in Baguio City on Saturday.

“We will have a lot of activities first thing we have to do is to strengthen the office and then we'll try to come up with the programs that will address the trauma, before they become upperclassmen they have to go guidance counseling so that those who were traumatized,” he added.

Brawner said his programs also include efforts to strengthen the implementation of the honor code or the honor system within the academy.

“We will strengthen the honor code or honor system. The honor system is perfect but the implementation is sometimes different among the cadets, the companies so we will make uniform so make sure that we achieve the objectives that we set for,” he said.

Brawner stressed the importance of empowering first class cadets within the academy.

“We will strengthen the authority of the first class cadet. We're going to empower them so they themselves are looking after cadets in the entire corps... also we will able to look after all the cadets,” he added.

Brawner, who replaced Brig. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, assumed his post as the new Commandant of Cadets of the PMA last Thursday. Robina Asido/DMS