MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Francis Escudero, chief of the Senate committee on national defense and security, Wednesday said there is no basis to call for the abolition of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) despite the corruption issues hounding the country’s premier military school.

Escudero said that a “few rotten eggs” in the academy, whose products include former generals who are now dragged into corruption issues, is not enough reason to close down the school.

“That there are a few rotten eggs is no reason to abolish the institution that produced them. No institution is perfect,” Escudero said in a statement.

“Otherwise, the same argument can be raised against other educational institutions that produced some bad eggs,” he pointed out.

But he said there is a need to review the existing policies and programs of the PMA not only to strengthen ethical training but also to make its academic standards at par with foreign military schools.

“The reforms should not only focus on moral and ethical training but should also include academic performance that would enable the academy’s graduates to be at par with the world’s best given that it is primarily an educational institution,” Escudero said.

“It shouldn’t be called Asia’s premier military academy for nothing,” he pointed out.