Philippine Army (PA) chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete has ordered a temporary suspension of reception ceremonies across all units after the death of a 22-year-old rookie soldier in Maguindanao del Norte, reportedly during such an activity.
In a statement on Wednesday, PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala confirmed that Nafarrete has also mandated a review of the reception ceremony, which consists of physical exercises for new soldiers upon reporting to their units. “Meron siyang instruction na i-istop muna ‘yun receptions within the PA (He has an instruction to stop for the meantime the reception ceremonies in all PA units),” Dema-ala stated.
The suspension applies only to newly enlisted PA personnel and not to civilians undergoing training to become soldiers. The PA’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) is currently investigating the incident involving Pvt. Charlie Patigayo, who collapsed during the reception ceremony on July 30 and died the following day.
In response to the incident, two officers and 21 enlisted personnel who supervised the ceremony at Bravo Company headquarters of the 6th Infantry Battalion (IB) have been relieved from their posts pending the investigation’s outcome. Dema-ala noted that these soldiers are in the custody of the 6th ID while inquiries continue.
Additionally, Dema-ala mentioned that the commander of the 6th IB was unaware of the reception ceremony conducted by Bravo Company, and that new soldiers in two other companies did not participate in any reception ceremony.
