2 Marawi Liberators Thank BCDA for Hospital Aid

Two soldiers who were severely wounded during the five-month battle to liberate Marawi City on Thursday expressed their appreciation for the hospitalization assistance provided by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

Pfc. Romeo Esperida Jr. and Cpl. Domingo Torreon met with and thanked BCDA president and chief executive officer Vivencio Dizon and BCDA vice president for corporate services Carlos Quita

The two were among the 52 troopers who benefited from the PHP5 million fund set up by BCDA in honor of the soldiers who fought for the liberation of Marawi City.

The money allowed injured soldiers to access medical treatments at the St. Luke’s Medical Center. Esperida, a member of the 63rd Company of the Marine Special Operations Group, sustained severe wounds in a firefight with Maute Group terrorists on June 9, 2017, where 13 of his fellow soldiers were killed.

At the time, he said he felt that he only had a 50 percent chance of surviving.

“Paunti-unti, nagba-blackout na ako. Yung tropa, grabe sampal sakin kasi alam na natutulog na’ko…Hanggang sa pag-evacuate sa’min, binibira kami ng ISIS (Slowly, I was blacking out. The troopers tried to keep me awake…while we were evacuating, ISIS were still firing at us),” Esperida added.

He was initially brought to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro before he was transferred to the V. Luna General Hospital in Quezon City.

While there, he was informed of the BCDA fund for wounded Marawi soldiers, allowing him to have his right eye operated on at St. Luke’s in Taguig City.

Esperida was awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kampilan by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in February.

Torreon, another beneficiary of the BCDA fund, said he would have lost his vision if it was not for BCDA’s hospitalization assistance.

“Noong naoperahan ako, sinabi ko sa nurse, wala kaming pambayad. Sabi sakin, ‘sagot ng BCDA’ (When I was operated on, I told the nurse that we don’t have the money to pay for operation. The nurse told me that BCDA would shoulder it),” Torreon, a member of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion, said.

Torreon said he could still remember seeing the bullet fly towards him.

“Sinilip ko yung [target], parang may approaching na bala na nakita ko, pagputok, boom! Bagsak ako, wala na akong makita (I peeped to look at the target then suddenly something hit us. I fell and could not see anything).”

He said he considers himself lucky that he was able to gain his vision back after the many operations he went and will still go through.

“Kung wala siguro ang pondo ng BCDA, walang nagtulong sa’kin, siguro bulag na ako ngayon (If not for the BCDA funds, nobody would probably help me. I’ll be blind now),” he said.

While needing two more operations for his full recovery, Torreon said he is looking forward to reporting back to duty. (PNA)