By J. Irving

On April 9, the country will celebrate the “Day of Valor”, officially known as “Araw ng Kagitingan” – to commemorate the heroism of Filipinos and American Soldiers during the fall of Bataan against the Japanese in World War II, which led to the infamous “Bataan Death March”. The Day-of-Valor does not celebrate its defeat but remembers the heroism of our veterans.

Filipinos who answered the call to military service during World War II are being honored by the United States with the Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 – more than 72 years after.

Again, a Day of Valor resurfaced on 25 February 1985, when a young first lieutenant, Segundo Bolo of the Army, successfully rescued Bishop Federico Escaler of Ipil and eight of his companions, without any casualties from kidnapped victims and his troop, from the hands of the notorious MNLF “Lost Command” under Kumander Awalon. (Reference: A Mindanao Story, Troubled Decades in the Eye of the Storm by Major General Delfin Castro, pages 187-191).

General Delfin Castro was the Commander of SOUTHCOM (the AFP Southern Command) at that time. He was in the limelight bannered by headlines in local and foreign newspaper when this day-of-valor was exhibited.  The exemplary act of Lieutenant Bolo saved General Castro and President Marcos Sr. from negative publicity. Our display of military professionalism was admired by the whole world and Catholic populace. Accordingly, General Castro was remiss though in giving Bolo the rightful commendation – the Medal of Valor. In his excitement after the rescue, General Castro just tapped the back of Lieutenant Bolo, by saying: “Nakatsamba ka, ha!” (You were lucky, hey) Fast forward, in the PMA homecoming of 2019, General Castro was honored as the oldest attending alumnus at the Borromeo Field, at the age of 94. In his death bed on that same year, as his son Joey recalled that his father was looking for Bolo and left a letter to the Secretary of National Defense Lorenzana – recommending Lieutenant Bolo to get the Medal of Valor.

However, the Adjutant General, CAPT RAMILO B TRINIDAD PN (GSC), relayed the findings of the Medal of Valor (MOV) Board that the deeds made by Lieutenant Bolo do not meet the fundamental parameters required for the Medal for Valor award – “the singular act” – and that this singular act of valor directly affected the outcome of the armed engagement; and also stated that under Paragraph-c of the AFP Regulation G 131 054 dated 26 June 2014, “A prescription period of three (3) years shall apply for all recommendations.” 

Meaning, the conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty of Lieutenant Bolo is not there; and if ever, it has EXPIRED.

There was no more investigation or intense scrutiny made, as it should be in this case, from the rescued victims. The members of the MOV Board were relaxed in turning down the letter of General Castro. There is no pressure from anybody above! General Castro and Bishop Escaler are dead already anyway. Likewise, Lieutenant Bolo did not come from the elite Scout Rangers, Special Forces, or the Marines, to back him up. He is just an ordinary infantry man.

Nevertheless, Bishop Escaler continued to serve his diocese in Ipil and his life as a bishop for 30 years more, after the kidnapping. He was still the bishop of Ipil when the town was attacked in the morning of 4 April 1995 by approximately 200 heavily armed Abu Sayyaf militants. Similar to the Hamas of Israel, the banditsfired upon residents, strafed civilian homes, took up hostages and then burned the centre of the town to the ground – realizing how dangerous, ruthless really and strong the enemy are in the area that Lieutenant Bolo faced at the time of his rescue. In the late 90’s, the bishop was looking for the lieutenant at Fort Bonifacio during his sermon, in a concelebrated mass with Army Chaplains, at Saint Michael Church – to thank him; but never able to find Bolo anymore, until to his death on 28 November 2015.

As Mark Manson in his book, “Every thing is F*cked”, said: “Heroism is not just bravery in the face of physical danger and adversity. It entails the moral strength to stand up for what is right. Courage is very common and often used in unheroic ways. Being heroic is the ability to conjure hope where there is none. Heroism has a philosophical component to it. There’s some great “Why?” that heroes bring to the table – some incredible cause or belief that goes unshaken, no matter what. And this is why, as a culture, we are so desperate for a hero today. We are a culture and a people in need of hope.” 

The Philippine Military Academy “Mapitagan” Class of 1980 is still hoping, against all hope, that the class will have their medal of valor when they will celebrate their Golden Jubilee homecoming in 2030. They are unanimously requesting from the Congress to reopen the case and for the Catholic BIshops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the PMA Alumni Association to support the quest . . . 

That the 25th of February 1985 at Ipil was indeed a Day of Valor!