• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Retired Marine Col. Ariel Querubin had resigned his commission from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) when he ran for a Senate seat as a member of the Nacionalista Party (NP) during the 2010 elections. He landed 19th in the Senate race.
Querubin, who was in Bacolod City Friday to speak before the Prosecutors League of the Philippines convention, recalled that when he ran in 2010 he was not allowed to campaign, although he was considered winnable.
“The reason I am (now) going around the country is because I am ready to leave my comfort zone for a higher calling. If the Filipino people want me to run, I will accept the challenge,” he said, during a press conference Friday, adding that he will still run under the NP.
Querubin is a recipient of the Medal of Valor, the country’s highest military award for courage. He had been involved in several rescue operations and had neutralized a CPP-NPA commander and a provincial chairman, as well as MNLF commanders.
“In my 34 years and eight months in military service, I have earned 49 medals and 67 hits (battle wounds). I have died for the country and am still willing to accept more bullets, he said, recalling a time when he was declared clinically dead after being hit by a Sikorsky gunship helicopter rocket.
He has decided to run again after being encouraged that the country needs a “ruthless warrior” like him to talk peace, Querubin said.
Why don’t we sit down and settle all our differences and stop all these arm struggle for us to progress? He asked. “Let us unite against our common enemy which are corruption, social injustice, poverty, unemployment, military abuses, etc…” he said.
Meanwhile, Querubin said that if he were given a chance to become senator he would like to craft bills creating the magna carta for women that will benefit especially the wives of slain soldiers, bills that will provide free hospitalization for senior citizens, as well as free education for all the eldest child in every family, who are the ones helping their younger siblings go to school.*
