GMA promotes 4 Palace defenders

Loyalty pays.

Four Army soldiers wounded in combat were visited by no less than their commander-in-chief, President Arroyo, and were promoted one rank on the spot.

Staff Sgt. Elmer Arimando, Sgts. Romeo Bustarde and John Delizo, and Cpl. Enrico Almoguerra merited special attention from the President because they were formerly part of Task Force Libra of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which defended Malacañang during the May 1, 2001 siege by rallyists supporting deposed President Joseph Estrada.

Arimando, Bustarde, Delizo and Almoguerra, along with Col. Jovito Palaparan, were among those taken out of their respective mother units in various provinces and assigned to Task Force Libra when the loyalty of other AFP troopers were still in question. The four now belong to the Philippine Army 16th Infantry Battalion based in Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro.

The four soldiers were wounded when they, along with other troopers, went to the rescue of 204th Infantry Brigade soldiers led by Palaparan, who were ambushed by New People’s Army rebels last Sunday in Barangay Villaflor in Puerto Galera.

The President went to Fort Bonifacio Hospital in Taguig City, where the soldiers were confined, and pinned Wounded Personnel Medals on them. She also promoted them one rank higher on the spot.

Mrs. Arroyo gave cash assistance, mandated by law, of P50,000 to Bustarde who sustained major injuries, and P20,000 each to the three other soldiers, who sustained minor injuries.

The President visited Palaparan last Monday at the V. Luna Memorial Center in Quezon City.