Definitely more than just a few good men

Words like honor, service, loyalty are regularly in their vocabulary, but these are not used in the same manner as Col. Jessep used them in the military drama "A Few Good Men". There is no "code red", no mutiny and no generals pocketing millions in the stories of these distinguished Filipino soldiers.

Can you handle the truth? The civilians who honored these fine gentlemen certainly did.

While the nation was aghast at the snowballing exposés of ranking military officials allegedly amassing millions through less than honorable means, ten military men enriched themselves through honorable and noble acts in the service of country. They are The Ten Outstanding Philippine Soldiers, or TOPS, and three of them shared with STARweek their tales of professionalism and excellence in their respective fields–simple stories, yet more than enough to make one keep faith with the besieged Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Their recognition was made more credible by the fact that the people whom they swore to protect under the Constitution were the ones who picked them as winners.

Nothing is sweeter than this, Captain Harold Cabunoc of the Philippine Army, Staff Sergeant Samson Viloria of the Air Force and Master Sergeant Leonardo Cleofe of the Marines agree.

"Being chosen as a TOPS awardee was made more meaningful because civilians themselves recognized our achievements," says Cabunoc, an officer of the elite Scout Rangers who, at only 31, has proven himself worthy of his quick rise in the military hierarchy.

Cleofe, one of the six enlisted personnel awardees, cites the "challenge" of being accorded such honor–"to prove that I am deserving".

"I must have done something real good," Cleofe, 35, recalls telling himself when the unexpected news of his winning the prized plum came last October. Viloria says the award brought them a sense of fulfillment because the expression of gratitude for their service came from the private sector.

The civilian board of judges is composed of men and women who are themselves distinguished in their respective sectors, from the judiciary, education, human rights, media and the clergy. One of them is STAR columnist Jarius Bondoc, who exposed last year the ill-gotten wealth of former AFP comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia. The annual search is jointly undertaken by the Rotary Club of Makati and the Metrobank Foundation to honor excellence among men and women in uniform in appreciation of their selfless acts of gallantry in preserving the nation’s sovereignty. Last month, their commander in chief, President Arroyo herself, gave out the TOPS awards to the 2004 recipients.

Coming from different military branches, three of the military’s best men did not know each other but found kinship soon after they shook hands to congratulate each other, as did all the rest of those honored for their total contribution during their entire service. What keeps them from getting spoiled by the rotten eggs in the military is that they do not lose sight of what soldiery is all about.

"A soldier in the first place entered the military to serve and protect the nation and its interests," Cleofe says, adding that a soldier rebelling against the government "is the greatest disservice to the country". On corruption scandals the military is faced with, he notes that at least steps are being undertaken to rid the AFP of crooked officials–at the highest levels, at that.

"Change is likely to take place because these scandals are coming out and being investigated, so reforms may follow. Unlike before, when these were hardly investigated but in fact it has been taking place for quite a long time now," says this Marine instructor who has been in the service for 15 years. He reminds soldiers and those aspiring to be one that serving the country is in itself a big honor: "Maganda ang layunin ng pagiging sundalo."

Viloria, the master inventor of technical innovations in the Air Force, agrees: "The best way to serve the country is by becoming a soldier."

Cabunoc says it is best "to be part of the solution" even as he admits there are problems in the AFP, such as inconsistencies in the implementation of the merit system. "What is due the soldiers should be given to them," he stresses, adding that "more soldiers will stand out" if this is addressed. As an officer who has led and weathered countless battles with secessionist, communist and extremist rebels, Cabunoc believes in "effecting change at your level of influence" instead of simply whining about what needs to be done.

Battle-scarred and mindful of the intrigues hounding the military, apathy has never taken hold of them. They value allegiance to the flag, and ingenuity as well as progressiveness infuse their leadership skills whether in boosting the morale of their unit or keeping the hope alive in war-worn communities.

Cabunoc, for one, believes in "direct contact", putting that personal touch into his leadership style. "One of the ways to motivate a soldier and calm him down is for him not to worry about his family," says this father of two children. He writes "love letters" to families of his men, assuring them that their loved one is fine and to let them know that the situation "is not worse than they think it is".

In spite of his still relatively short career of ten years in the service, Cabunoc is a combat expert, especially in going after the Abu Sayyaf. He knows what battle stress is all about, not just how it affects soldiers–after all, they are also human–but how it affects the general population as well. He initiates social projects such as coastal clean-ups and the construction of public toilets and water reservoirs in the communities where he is assigned. He immerses himself in the diverse culture of Philippine society–particularly in Mindanao where he has served many years–to gain a better understanding of the way of life of other cultural groups.

"As a commander, I have to have a deeper understanding of unique situations in the area," says Cabunoc, a native of Bukidnon whose determination to appreciate the Muslim culture led him to become an adopted son of a family in Tuburan, Basilan, going by the name Abu Dakil.

But when it comes to lawlessness, this seven-time recipient of the Gold Cross Medal–the third highest combat award–is relentless in pursuing military objectives at the same time as he is skillful in ensuring a peaceful surrender of rebels tired of fighting and ready to give up their arms. Sometime in 2000, Cabunoc supervised the unit that arranged for the surrender of 29 members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf from all over Sulu province. This earned his unit, the 10th Scout Ranger Company, the award for Best Company for Administration.

Cabunoc’s accomplishments in fighting enemy forces since graduating from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1994 allowed him to progress up the AFP hierarchy, taking over the reigns of the 10th Scout Ranger Company from 2000 to 2002. And it was during this period that the Abu Sayyaf staged its two infamous kidnap-for-ransom capers that grabbed the world’s attention–the Sipadan and Palawan hostage crises, which involved foreig tourists, including two American missionaries. His substantial contributions in attaining civilian-military objectives against the bandits made Cabunoc Junior Officer of the Year in 2002."Because of this (assignment), I got to do more for the service and for my men," he says.

Dedication to his profession likewise made Cleofe stand out in the Philippine Navy.
It was a double victory for the 35-year-old Marine drill instructor in 2004 as he was also adjudged the Navy’s Enlisted Personnel of the Year, one of the highest military honors.

It was only last year when the search for outstanding Filipino soldiers included enlisted personnel, or those non-commissioned in the service. Two enlisted personnel and one commissioned officer were selected from each of the three military branches namely, the Army, Navy and Air Force. A winner was also chosen from the Technical Support Group of the military.

Being enlisted may mean not getting to the top of the military command unlike commissioned officers who have a shot at it, but Cleofe, Viloria and the rest of the enlisted personnel awardees are happy where they are. "I have always wanted to be soldier since I was a kid. I idolized them when I was young," says Cleofe, who has trained and made some 2,000 cadets regular members of the military now deployed in different parts of the country. He is now a member of the proud and prestigious pool of instructors of the Basic School of the Marine Corps Training Center based in Ternate, Cavite. From Basic School, he rose to become Training Non-Commissioned Officer then junior drill instructor before finally landing his current assignment, which is considered as the most coveted and challenging post in the Marine Corps Training Center.

As senior drill instructor, Cleofe exemplifies competence and, more importantly, the desire to make a meaningful contribution to the formation of highly disciplined and effective soldiers.

What he teaches his trainees foremost is to remove what he calls "civilian antics". "If they want to be in the military, we instill in them the virtue of putting the country first before self. Once you get into the military, you dedicate yourself to being a soldier," he says.

Viloria always had a passion for aeronautics. There is no such thing as scrap for this armament specialist as he uses his talent for innovation to enhance the operational readiness capabilities of the Air Force’s assets.

Technical improvements he has made include improvising a refueling machine, electric rinsing machine, and a built-in manual armament re-cocking system. Apart from saving money for the government (over half a million pesos) because of his inventions, safety in armaments handling was increased, helping the airpower loading capability of the AFP’s air assets.

"What I invented was a fuel pump for airplanes using electricity and you could operate it without manual labor. The same procedure goes for the rinsing machine, although I converted it from fuel pump to water pump so there would be no corrosion (in the system)," says Viloria of his machines, the first of which limits re-fueling time in aircraft while the other facilitates the cleaning of the engine compressor. More importantly, he says the Air Force doesn’t have to import such costly machines anymore.

Another highlight of Viloria’s 13 years in the service is his crucial role in repelling the attack by separatist rebels on the Edwin Andrews Airbase in Zamboanga in 2001. At the height of the conflict, Viloria manually triggered a flare from an airborne attack helicopter– a difficult feat–the only one in the 20-man team at the time who knew such a tactic. The deployment of the flare–its glow, he says, is equivalent to "two million lighted candles"–alerted other attack planes to back them up. "It stopped the fighting somehow because it also distracted the enemy. Nawala ang diskarte nila. Many would have died if not for that flare because the enemy would have continued attacking and the fighting would have gone on."

For this, the quick-thinking Viloria was awarded the Gold Cross Medal.

The accomplishments of this 34-year-old native of Nueva Vizcaya, however, has not diminished his passion for making equally significant contributions to the community. Like his fellow TOPS awardees, Viloria is an advocate of community partnerships, helping initiate adopt-a-school projects in areas where his unit operates.

Their toughness in battle and progressive thinking may lead one to think of them as being staid. Indeed they take their job seriously, but dullness is certainly not part of their military vocabulary as they speak about being honored with the TOPS award.

"Para akong nanalo sa lotto! Una kong naisigaw, Thank God!" beams Viloria.

"I wouldn’t want to think they (judges) made a mistake," jests Cleofe, who says he would use the P100,000 cash prize to finally give his newly constructed home a ceiling. All three awardees are one in saying that part of the monetary reward will be used for the education of their children.

Cabunoc recalls that he had just returned home from training in the U.S. when he found out he was chosen as a TOPS awardee. "It was a double celebration for me," he says, and the same goes for Viloria whose eldest son was celebrating his 9th birthday when his commander in the 17th Attack Squadron based in Sangley Air Base in Cavite called him about it. "I couldn’t say a word when I found out. I was really happy. I knew I was deserving of the award," he says with undisguised delight and justifiable pride.

All three awardees look forward to a long and fruitful service in the military. Receiving the award, they say, motivates them further to prove they are worthy of the praise, no matter what frustrations may come. "If I had allowed disappointments to take hold of me, I wouldn’t have been a TOPS awardee," Viloria declares.

"Mahal ko ang serbisyo ko at mahal ko ang pamilya ko, kaya nandito ako," Cleofe remarks, citing the benefits that military service brings him and his family.

So what’s next for these outstanding men in uniform? What else, they say, but to strive harder to serve and protect the nation. And what sets them apart from the bad eggs in the AFP is simple: they make soldiery look good.

The TOPS awardees were given trophies and cash during simple rites held in Malacañang last Feb. 24. The other awardees are Army Sr. M/Sgt. Renato de los Santos, 7th Infantry Division in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija; Army T/Sgt. Ludie Donque, 8th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Division in Claveria, Misamis Oriental; Navy Cmdr. Bayani Gaerlan, the Assault Craft Force, Philippine Fleet, Naval Base in Cavite, Sangley Point, Cavite City; S/Sgt Melvin Baguio of the Philippine Navy in Naval Station Zamboanga, Lower Calarian, Zamboanga City; Air Force Col. Romeo D.V. Paqiuz of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Comptrollership (J-6) in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City; Victoriano Novida of the 1301st PAF Dental Dispensary in Villamor Air Base, Pasay City; and Lt. Col. Joseph Acosta, M.D., of the Basa Air Base Hospital in Basa Air Base, Floridablanca, Pampanga.