By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – It’s a “nostalgic visit.”
This was the reaction of Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana when he visited Brgy. Cabacungan, La Castellana, Negros Occidental on Thursday.
Sobejana was the guest of honor in the unveiling of the bust of the late 1Lt. Lolinato To-ong together with Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan and Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
He also awarded the Medal of Valor to the late soldier.
To-ong, a native of Barangay Cabacungan, was a member of the 52nd Marine Company of the Force Reconnaissance Battalion and 9th Marine Battalion of the Navy’s Philippine Marine Corps.
He was killed during the assault together with the Scout Rangers on heavily fortified enemy bunkers of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at Poblacion Matanog, Maguindanao on April 30, 2000.
Sobejana, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1987, told reporters that his first assignment as an Army officer was Cabacungan as platoon leader of the Charlie Company of the 11th Infantry Battalion.
“Dito nag umpisa ang aking military service as an active military officer, and during that time kasagsagan ng insurgency dito kaya halos every week meron kaming skirmishes with the New People’s Army.”
Sobejana added that “I’ve seen today there are a lot of improvements, so I am very happy and we have also seen many developments here in Barangay Cabacungan and adjacent barangays.”
Sobejana, who is from neighboring Negros Oriental, said that it was during his stint here that he married his wife, Edna Iturriaga who is from the adjacent town of Isabela.
Because of his work, he said he had to bring his wife to his barracks a day after the wedding.
“It was a combat wedding, it was a combat honeymoon,” he recalled with a smile.
He also said that he did not think twice when he received the invitation from Mayor Mangilimutan to honor To-ong.
A Medal of Valor recipient himself, Sobejana said he hopes that To-ong will serve as an inspiration to the younger generation.
