18 soldiers get ‘Damayan’ treat

His is the oft-told tale of a poor young man joining the Army to escape poverty.

And yet Private First Class Orlando Comeros believes he may not fully run away from the fate that has been staring him in the eye since his birth.

Worse, he may live the rest of his life with an invalid left arm.

Comeros, 28, is one of the Army Scout Rangers who were seriously wounded in clashes with Abu Sayyaf bandits in Lamitan, Basilan recently. A bullet crushed the bone of his upper left arm and doctors say they would have to put a metal brace inside the arm to make it function normally again.

The STAR’s Operation Damayan visited Comeros and 17 of his comrades at the V. Luna Hospital yesterday to give each of them P10,000 in assistance.

Col. Ronald Kempis, who heads the hospital, said the visit meant so much for the wounded soldiers not just because of the monetary assistance but because it made them aware of the concern other people have for their plight.

"The soldiers here are very happy whenever they have visitors. It boosts their morale. It is always a treat for them to have company as they recover from their injuries," he said.

The battle that left Comeros wounded was his first experience of battling insurgents. Though he spent two months in war-torn Jolo, Sulu before being asked to take part in the Lamitan assault, he had never been in actual combat.

And facing the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas for the first time left him with nightmares that keep coming back.

On the eve of June 2, Comeros and 60 other soldiers passed by Lamitan on their way to their barracks in Basilan. Suddenly, an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf fighters ambushed them, triggering a firefight that damaged the St. Peter’s Church and the nearby Jose Torres Memorial Hospital.

At least six of Comeros’ comrades were killed. Just the other night, he dreamt of being shot by one of the soldiers who perished in that battle.

Comeros said he would want to go back to his home in Cebu, in the farm where he grew up as the eldest of 10 children. With an agriculture degree, he sees himself managing his own cattle farm someday.

That could well come, someday. For now, he has his damaged arm and nightmares to mind.

The others who received assistance from Operation Damayan were Abbuh Basil, Tito Ongcol, 2Lt. Allan Tria, Chiongbian Mangual, Onofre Almoquera, Jopard Liorin, Diony Almoete, Henry Apolonio, Julian Piguracion, Iting Isnami, Mohammad Ailani, Madke Araham, Yasser Kaluang, Aniceto Gapasgardo, Paul Labaste, Balores Regalado and Roy Amora.

Operation Damayan welcomes donations from readers. Please call 527-7901 to 15 and ask for Melita Dioso.