Section 6
Sec. 6. Section thirty-one of the National Defense Act is amended so as to read as follows: "SEC. 31. The President is authorized to appoint to the Military Academy annually, subject to such physical and mental examinations as he may prescribe, the number of cadets necessary to maintain the Cadet Corps at a strength of not to exceed three hundred and fifty. Cadets shall be selected from among qualified candidates as hereinafter provided. Candidates for admission shall be single, in good physical condition, not less than seventeen nor more than twenty-two years of age, and shall be nominated by the Members of the National Assembly, each of whom may nominate any number of candidates. The President shall appoint from among those who pass the physical and mental examinations with the highest ratings the number or numbers necessary to fill the existing vacancies: Provided, That a quota of three members of the Cadet Corps shall be allotted to each Assembly district: Provided, further. That in case no candidates from a given Assembly district attain the required minimum ratings, a second examination shall be given during the same year to nominees from that district. If on the second examination no candidate shall attain the required minimum rating, the vacancies in the district quota shall be filled by the President from successful candidates at large. "The pay and allowances of students at the Military Academy shall be fixed by the President. "Any student who shall, after entrance to the Academy and before completion of the prescribed course of training, be found to be physically unfit for military duty by reason of injury or disease incident to the service, shall be retired with the rank of cadet and shall be entitled to the retired pay and allowances of a third lieutenant of the Regular Force. "Upon satisfactory completion of the course of instruction at the Military Academy, candidates shall be commissioned third lieutenants in the Regular or Reserve Forces with relative rank in the order of final general standing as determined by the Academic Board, and approved by the Chief of Staff. "The Academic Board of the Philippine Military Academy shall be composed of the Superintendent, the Commandant of Cadets, and the heads of the departments, and shall have the power to confer the degree of bachelor of science under such rules and regulations as the chief of staff may prescribe, upon all cadets who may hereafter satisfactorily complete the approved course of studies. "The Chief of Staff shall have authority to grant graduation leaves of absence with full pay to all graduates of the Military Academy, who receive commissions in the Regular Force, for a period not exceeding one month effective upon the date of graduation. "Cadets may be granted leaves of absences from the Military Academy, under such rules and regulations as the Chief of Staff may prescribe. "Academic leaves of absences without deduction from pay or allowances may be authorized for the superintendent, professors, assistant professors, instructors and other officers of the Military Academy for the entire period of the suspension of the ordinary academic studies, under such rules and regulations as the chief of staff may prescribe: Provided, That officers of the Reserve Force assigned for duty at the Military Academy shall be entitled to the same leave privileges as are authorized the officers of the regular force."