THE BARON: My One True Love

CHAPTER XVI

HONOR COMMITTEE

Chris went on with his duties as the Baron. One of them is to be present at the trials done by the Honor Committee. There are at least 4 cadets that on trial at the moment. Two who are charged of cheating, one charged with lying and the other was charged with stealing.

All these offenses are violations of the Honor Code.

A Cadet does not lie. He always tells the truth regardless of the consequences. He does not quibble or make evasive statements. A cadet does not cheat. He does not defraud others nor does he take undue advantage of them. Whatever credit he earns in any cadet activity is wholly his own. A cadet does not steal. He does not take the personal property of another without the latters consent. He does not keep for himself anything that he finds which does not belong to him. A cadet does not do any of these things and he does not tolerate any violations of the Code. He is bound to report any breach of the code that comes to his attention. He does not countenance by inaction any honor violation; if he were to, he becomes a party to such violation and he himself is as guilty as the original violator. The Honor System transcends all ranks and class barriers. No cadet, regardless of his rank and class is above the System. No violator of the Code is granted immunity. No cadet who violates the Code can redeem himself from the violation he commits.

The spirit of the Honor System is based on two basic questions:

Do I intend to deceive?Do I intend to take undue advantage?

If a cadet can answer "No" to both questions, he is not guilty of any honor violation. Once caught or reported for an honor violation, the cadet is investigated by the Honor Committee composed of cadets. There are twenty-five members; one representative from the first, second, third, and fourth classes in each of the eight companies. The first and second class representatives are the voting members, while the third class are the recorders. If an honor case is to be formalized, the Honor Court composed of eight voting members and two recorders conduct a formal hearing. A unanimous vote of "Guilty" is needed to convict a cadet of an honor violation. If found guilty, the cadet is asked to resign for the good of the service. The proceedings of an Honor Committee is a privilege communication and known only to the committee and the Superintendent.

(Author's Note: The previous paragraphs were copied from the page of the Philippine Military Academy about the Honor System)

FEBRUARY

The weeks passed so soon. Chris was busy at the Academy, while Marian was trying to finish the Semester in Law School. She is now on her 7th month and struggling to get to her class. Her baby bump is exaggeratedly large since she is carrying two. Her classmates have actuallyno idea as to who the father is. They have not seen Marian dating any guy. Baguio is just a small place and they have not seen her around. They see her in their restaurant or when she is out
doing the grocery with her parents. Marian's mother is their Criminal Law professor and Marian do not get any special treatments. If she did not study her lessons and she is asked to recite, her Mother, Judge Guerrero would not spare her from her kilo metric sermon. Pregnant or not, her mother let Marian stand up the whole period, punishment for not studying her lessons.

For Chris, duties and more duties have been eating a lot of his time. He and his classmates just came back from their Officers Pre-Orientation Course. He and his Army classmates were assigned in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac for their training while their Air Force and Navy classmates were assigned somewhere else.

Right now the whole Corps is busy preparing for the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming this coming Saturday.

Chris and Marian have not been able to talk for the passed days because their conflicting schedules. Chris tries to call her but its either she is sleeping or in a rush to go to her class. It's Judge Guerrero who was the one who gives him details about Marian's pregnancy. Chris was wondering if Marian was trying to avoid him.