Wounded soldier gets award from CentCom

CEBU - The 23-year-old soldier who was wounded in an encounter with the New People’s Army in Negros Occidental last September 24 received a merit medal from the military’s Central Command yesterday.

Lt. Gen. Pedro Ike Inserto awarded the merit medal and wounded personnel medal, as well as cash incentive to Private First Class Recto Maboayaen Jr. at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center where the latter is recuperating. Maboayaen is a member of the 61st Brigade.

Moboayaen was hit on his right knee and right calf while his group pursued a group of women rebels last September 24 in sitio Mansuban-on, barangay Manlocahoc in Sipalay, Negros Occidental. Three amazons were captured during the encounter.

Moboayaen is now waiting for his surgery to remove a bullet that is still inside his body and to heal the fractured bone in his patilla. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is shouldering all hospital expenses.

“Malaki ang psychological effect ng medal. Gagaling na sya at babalik na uli sa 61st Brigade,” Inserto said.

Moboayaen, a resident of barangay Pandakan, Pinamungahan, said the encounter with the rebels was his biggest encounter in four years of service with the military.

His father said his son’s wounds do not discourage him from pursuing a military career, in fact, he intends to immediately go back to work once he fully recovers.

“Normal na ni. Dawat na ni namo kay mao ma’y among gipili nga propesyon. Nagpasalamat lang mi nga mao lang ni iya gikadangatan,” Moboayaen’s father, Recto, said. Recto himself is a retired soldier.-Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/JMO (THE FREEMAN)