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| (Photo courtesy: Jerome J. Jacuba Facebook) |
By Jerome Paunan
MANILA (PIA) – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed military officials to promote an Army captain blinded in combat and suspend his disability discharge, while ordering a comprehensive review of policies affecting wounded service members.
In a video message on Sunday, Marcos announced he has instructed the Armed Forces Chief of Staff to halt the Complete Disability Discharge (CDD) of Captain Jerome Jacuba, Philippine Army, who lost his sight when a bomb exploded during duty.
The President ordered Jacuba’s promotion to major, citing his courage and sacrifice in defending the Philippines.
“This is an officer who risked his life for his duty to defend the Philippines, and because of that, we would just let him go? That doesn’t seem fair,” Marcos said in Filipino.
Jacuba was slated for CDD, which disqualifies personnel from military service when they can no longer participate in combat operations.
However, Marcos questioned the appropriateness of discharging experienced officers who sustain service-related injuries.
The President directed military leadership to identify adaptive duty assignments suitable for Jacuba despite his visual impairment, noting that a soldier with 15 years of experience can contribute significantly in various capacities.
“Even though he has been blinded, there are still many duties a soldier can perform, especially a soldier with 15 years of experience. He can add much and help us greatly,” Marcos said.
The President has instructed Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro to conduct a thorough review of CDD policies to prevent similar situations where wounded service members face immediate discharge after sustaining injuries in the line of duty.
“We will create a new policy on CDD as soon as possible,” Marcos said. “This is for all our soldiers who, because of their duty, were injured. We must continue to recognize their courage and sacrifice.”
The policy review aims to establish guidelines ensuring that service members wounded during operations receive appropriate recognition and opportunities to continue serving in capacities suited to their conditions.
“Mabuhay ka, Captain Jacuba. Ay hindi, mabuhay ka, Major Jacuba, at mabuhay ang Sandatahang Pilipinas,” the President concluded. (Long live, Major Jacuba, and long live the Armed Forces of the Philippines.)
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Jacuba said, “Sir, thank you for boosting the morale of our troops, especially the wounded soldiers and the PWD sector as a whole.
Thank you for the opportunity to be heard and show that our ability is stronger than our disability.” (JCO/PIA-NCR)
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