Administrative lapses possibly committed by two Philippine Military Academy swimming instructors and a section marcher are being looked into as the investigation into the pool death of a plebe continues.
Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, said the swimming instructors were not present at the pool area when Cadet Fourth Class Mario Telan Jr. drowned last Friday during a swimming lesson.
Arevalo said that the class or section marcher failed to conduct an accounting of the class after the swimming lesson. A class or section marcher is a cadet tasked to do an accounting of his fellow cadets before and after every activity.
Telan’s absence would have been noticed earlier had an accounting was held after the swimming lesson.
“They were made to explain why they were not in the pool area during the time of the incident and why an accounting was not conducted after the class,” Arevalo said. “They may have an explanation to justify why they were not there or why an accounting was not done so that’s part of due process. We need to ask them,” he added.
The AFP spokesperson assured that administrative cases will be filed against the swimming instructors and the class marcher if proven they are indeed accountable for Telan’s death.
“It’s possible. It will depend on the outcome of their explanation. They should explain why they should not be held accountable on their failure to do their obligations or responsibilities that could have prevented the incident from occuring,” Arevalo explained.
Telan was found dead at the deep end of the academy’s 15-foot deep pool in Baguio City after he failed to surface during a diving session with his fellow cadets.
The Baguio police, which leads the investigation, has ruled out foul play in the incident.
Telan was the third cadet to have perished in the academy in two months, following the hazing death of his batchmate Cadet Fourth Class Darwin Dormitorio on Sept. 18, and Cadet Second Class Cedrick Gadia’s death due to esophageal cancer on Oct. 28. (Martin A. Sadongdong)