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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-22/ferdinand-marcos-sr.avif" alt="Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr." loading="lazy"  />
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(President Ferdinand E. Marcos)
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<h4>
A Corps of Advisers
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Anyone who reaches a position of leadership acquires the habit of deliberate thinking. One of my favorite mental exercises, which others may find useful, is to foresee possible problems one may have to face in the future and to determine what solutions can possibly be made to meet these problems.
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For instance, if I were suddenly asked, to pose a given situation, to decide in five minutes when and where to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, I have decided that there should be at least five questions that I would ask, and depending on the answers to these five questions, I would know when and where to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus.
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The same thing is true with the declaration of martial law. Incidentally, martial law has just recently been declared in Malaysia. It is a useful mental exercise to meet a problem before it happens. A leader must foresee a problem coming up long before the ordinary citizen even expects it to surface, and expecting this, it is incumbent upon the leader to anticipate the circumstances surrounding such a crisis so that he may be able to meet the full impact of the crisis with coolness.
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This is true, too, of military men. When you anticipate, for instance, the capability of the enemy and then you are met with sudden withering fire, while the others - the men under you - who have not anticipated it recoil in shock, you meet the situation with a little coolness and deliberation because you expected it, and you are well fortified, for although expecting the best, you are prepared for the worst.
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I have also looked upon contemporary opinions and criticisms not as final judgements but simply as materials for the historian to utilize in forming a perspective, at some future time, when the eyes are not dimmed with passion and the heart, once motivated by partisanship, is no longer moved to inform th judgment of those who write and those who comment upon the past with distinct bias.
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<p>
I congratulate the outgoing officers of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association for their achievements in fostering a stronger spirit of brotherhood among its members.
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<p>
I am gratified to note that of the alumni associations in the Philippines, the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association is one of the most active. This association has helped promote the interest and the development of our military establishment. It has helped clarify important military issues.
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Going over the list of resolutions taken up during your convention last year, I observed that you created a committee to study basic military problems.
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I should like to see such a committee work hand in hand with other agencies of the government.
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For that matter, I should like to go further by suggesting the organization of a study group within your association. Such a group, unrestricted by normal inhibitions of formal organizations, can develop ideas and concepts freely and creatively. The special studies of such a group can perhaps be submitted for consideration to the proper office in the military establishment. In fact, I have suggested to your President that such studies be presented to me personally. I would like to know your views on many matters and here you have a built-in pool of talent to consider matters that may not affect the military but may affect the entire government. As you know I have a habit of asking almost every group of our society, including the barrio captains, to give their views on certain important issues.
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I had a very exciting discussion at one time when I went to a barrio convention, and I asked the barrio leaders present to speak out on national problems. I wanted to test the capability of our barrio leaders, so I asked about, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization: what they thought of common, defense, whether we could convince Japan to exercise leadership in the economic and military development of Asia-things which you might think the barrio people would not know about. I was surprised therefore by the self-confidence and perspicacity of the barrio leaders, which just goes to show that this is, indeed, a changing world.
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But I am serious about this proposal for you to organize several study groups because, I repeat, if you want to continue doing your share in helping run the government and in establishing policy, as well as the means and procedures for implementation of policy, I certainly cannot see why such study groups, quietly working, will not influence the policy-makers of our government. I would be the first to listen to your recommendations. It is my hope then that you will consider this proposal very seriously.
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And this brings me to the subject of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. Members of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association have served as military, advisers, coordinators, and action officers in the military conferences and exercises of SEATO. Young members of PMAAA look forward to serving in the different units of SEATO.
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Address of President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Closing Dinner Program of the PMAAA on May 17, 1969