MARAWI HEROES. Private First Class Romeo Esperida Jr. (left) and Corporal Domingo Torreon visit the BCDA office in Taguig City to express their gratitude over the agency’s hospitalization assistance. Last year, the BCDA allocated P5 million for troops injured during the Marawi siege.
Two of the 52 soldiers granted hospitalization assistance by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) last year are eager to report back to duty.
Private First Class Romeo Esperida Jr. and Corporal Domingo Torreon recently met with BCDA President and CEO Vivencio Dizon and Vice President for Corporate Services Retired Brig. Gen. Carlos Quita to personally express their gratitude to the agency for its assistance.
Esperida and Torreon were just two of the 52 soldiers who benefited from the P5-million fund set up by BCDA in honor of the heroism and bravery of the troops who fought for the liberation of Marawi City. The fund allowed injured troops to access medical treatments at the St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Esperida, a member of the 63rd Company of the Marine Special Operations Group, suffered severe injuries in a firefight with Maute Group militants on June 9, 2017, wherein 13 of his comrades died.
Recalling the incident, Esperida said he felt that he only had a 50 percent chance of surviving. “Paunti-unti, nagba-blackout na ako. Yung tropa, grabe sampal sakin kasi alam na natutulog na’ko…Hanggang sa pag-evacuate sa’min, binibira kami ng ISIS.”
Esperida was initially brought to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro before he was transferred to the V. Luna General Hospital in Quezon City. He said he was informed of the BCDA fund for wounded Marawi soldiers, allowing him to have his right eye operated on at St. Luke’s in Taguig City.
Esperida, who sustained serious eye and limb injuries, was awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kampilan by President Rodrigo Duterte in February. Dr. Fabio Enrique Posas, who treated Esperida after it was discovered that there was shrapnel lodged in the latter’s neck, was given the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kamagi.
“Okay na rin yung pakiramdam ko ngayon…Parang normal na,” Esperida told BCDA last week.
Corporal Domingo Torreon, 30, also a beneficiary of the fund, said he would have lost his vision if it wasn’t for BCDA’s hospitalization assistance.
“Noong na-operahan ako, sinabi ko sa nurse, wala kaming pambayad. Sabi sakin, ‘sagot ng BCDA’,” Torreon, an officer of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion, said.
Torreon said he could still remember seeing the bullet fly towards him. “Sinilip ko yung [target], parang may approaching na bala na nakita ko, pagputok, boom! Bagsak ako, wala na akong makita.”
He said he considers himself lucky that he was able to gain his vision back after the many operations he went and will still go through. “Kung wala siguro ang pondo ng BCDA, walang nagtulong sa’kin, siguro bulag na ako ngayon,” he said.
While he is yet to undergo two more operations, Torreon said he is looking forward to report back to duty.
“Babalik ako sa trabaho. Ang sundalo, hindi lang puro gyera; kasi sa nakikita ko sa digmaan, walang nananalo, walang natatalo. Yung kalaban, namamatayan. Yung tropa, may casualty. Walang magandang naidudulot ang gyera,” said Torreon.
The BCDA is planning to make the P5-million allocation a revolving fund for injured troops who cannot receive the needed medical care in military hospitals due to lack of facilities and doctors.
The hospitalization assistance is on top of BCDA’s P8-billion contribution to the modernization program of its major stakeholder, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, during the first two years of the Duterte administration. BCDA has contributed a total of P40 billion to the AFP since the agency was created in 1992. (BCDA)
http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1007558
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