WOMEN POWER. Two Zamboangueñas, Cadettees First Class Lei Anne Palermo and Zandra Tabar land on the Top 10 of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Mandayug Class of 2020. The graduation is set to be held Friday (May 22, 2020) at Camp Mariano Castañeda in Silang, Cavite. (Photo grab from PNPA file video)
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The parents of the two Zamboangueña Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) cadets who will graduate on top of their class said they are proud of their daughters' achievements, although they cannot attend the graduation rites amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
The graduation of the PNPA Mandayug Class of 2020 is set to be held Friday, at Camp Mariano Castañeda that houses the PNPA campus in Silang, Cavite.
The two Zamboangueñas who landed on top of the Mandayug Class of 2020 are Cadette First Class Lei Anne Palermo, who is top of her class, and Cadette First Class Zandra Tabar, who is the top 3.
Palermo, who belongs to the Hawk Company, is a resident of Barangay Calarian, while Tabar of the Charlie Company is from Barangay Curuan, both in this city.
Palermo is the youngest daughter of Army 2Lt. (ret.) Norberto Palermo, 64, and Lilia Palermo, a retired nurse of the Dr. Jose Maria Torres Memorial Foundation Hospital, Inc in Lamitan City, Basilan.
Noberto said he is proud and honored by his daughter's achievement and would have loved to attend the graduation ceremony if not for the prevailing health crisis.
“We are proud of you when you complete the course as number one. You made true of your promises to exert everything to reach the top,” Norberto said.
Tabar is the eldest daughter of Roselie and Alexander Tabar, who are into the transport business.
Roselie said they did not expect Zandra to be in the top 10 considering there are 227 cadets in the Mandayug Class of 2020. She said Zandra, who graduated as valedictorian both in elementary and secondary, has been wanting to become a soldier since she was little.
Zandra took and passed twice the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) entrance examination but failed to qualify the quota limit.
“So she decided to take the PNPA entrance examination and passed, and the rest is history,” Roselie said.
She also expressed regret that they won't be able to attend the graduation rights because there are still no flights to Manila due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Anyway, the graduation will be live on the PNPA Facebook page and on PTV-4. Doon na lang kami maghintay,” Zandra’s mother said.
Aside from Palermo and Tabar, six other Zamboangueños will graduate tomorrow, Friday, from the PNPA.
They are Cadets First Class Al-Shadat Abdurajak and Joseph Bryan Alberto of Barangay Sangali; Cadette First Class Judilyn Bardago of Sta. Catalina; Cadette First Class Brain Hull Sakkam of Sinunuc; Cadette First Class Rain Simyunn of Pasonanca; and Cadette First Class Khomeni Sulaiman of Recodo.
The PNPA Mandayug Class of 2020 has 227 cadets coming from all over the country. They started training and schooling on May 1, 2016.
The PNPA management said 202 of the graduates will join the police service, 59 will join the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP), and 16 will go to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). (PNA)
