Senator Bong Go expressed admiration as he looked back at the courage, heroism, and personal sacrifice of Captain Jerome Jacuba of the Philippine Army when he was on duty in Mindanao.
“Saludo ako sa katapangan at kabayanihan ni Capt. Jacuba. Hindi matatawaran ang sinakripisyo niya sa bayan,” said Go who personally met the blinded army captain at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center in August 2016.
Jacuba recently made news after he was discharged from the service, which prompted an order to the Department of National Defense to review the Complete Disability Discharge (CDD), a policy separating soldiers from the service due to physical abilities they incurred in the line of duty.
To recall, Jacuba lost his eyesight after an improvised explosive device detonated during a clearing operation in Maguindanao in 2016.
Jacuba’s CDD has been suspended and the officer was likewise given a spot promotion, which is now under process.
“Malaki po ang utang na loob ng Pilipino sa inyo.”
“Maraming salamat po muli sa iyong sakrispisyo. Malaki po ang utang na loob ng Pilipino sa inyo,” Go thanked the army captain who finished a six-week course on non-visual desktop access (NVDA) after being given a laptop by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Jacuba then became the chairman of the Wounded Soldiers Agri Cooperatives.
“The salary increase for uniformed personnel under Duterte’s term was a hard-fought commitment.”
Promoting the welfare of the uniformed personnel is no stranger to the veteran legislator. During the Duterte administration, then Special Assistant to the President Go helped in pushing for salary increases for military and other uniformed personnel, emphasizing that better compensation is a fitting tribute to their dedication to the country. The seasoned lawmaker also recalled the salary increase for uniformed personnel under Duterte’s term, saying it was a hard-fought commitment.
“Kung hindi maaprubahan ng Kongreso, sinabi niya, I will resign kasi mapapahiya raw po siya, sabi niya… unahin lang ang mga sundalo. Ganun niya po kamahal ang Armed Forces of the Philippines, ang ating mga sundalo, lalung-lalo na po yung mga nasa baba,” the senator said.
His advocacy for the welfare of uniformed personnel has remained consistent and steadfast.
Go is the principal author and co-sponsor of Republic Act No. 12177, or the Free Legal Assistance for Military and Uniformed Personnel Act, which institutionalizes free legal aid for military and uniformed personnel facing service-related charges.
He also co-authored RA 11549, which reduced the height requirements for applicants to the PNP, making the police service more accessible to aspiring law enforcers nationwide.
In addition, Go supported RA 11200, which reformed the PNP’s rank classification system by aligning it with military ranks to promote operational clarity and efficiency.
“Maraming salamat po sa walang kapantay na serbisyo sa ating bansa ng ating uniformed personnel. At mula noon hanggang ngayon po ay full support po ako sa inyo. Salamat po sa inyong serbisyo sa ating bayan,” he concluded.
