Former soldier Winston Ragos’ therapy sessions were put on hold amid COVID-19 threat

The therapy sessions of Retired Army Cpl. Winston Ragos for post-traumatic stress disorder were put on hold amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

On GMA Digital Specials’ “Mental: What is PTSD?,” an Army spokesperson confirmed that the late corporal suffered PTSD after serving the country for almost a decade.

A war veteran, Ragos went to his therapy sessions at Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City before these were halted due to the health crisis.

He died in an encounter with a checkpoint officer after he allegedly tried to pull out a gun.

Witnesses, however, said they told the officers that Ragos suffered from a mental illness.

Military service 

Ragos first showed signs of PTSD after a dangerous encounter in Bicol Region.

Col. Ramon Zagala, the Philippine Army spokesperson, shared that Ragos was enlisted in 2010 and was first assigned to the 31st Infantry Battalion which was based in Bicol.

Zagala shared that in one of Ragos’ missions as part of the peace and development team, the soldier had a dangerous encounter.

After this incident, Ragos was no longer the same.

“His first confinement in V. Luna happened, and that was about November of the same year. He had blank stares, he was hearing auditory signals,” Zagala said.

According to the Psychological Association of the Philippines counselling division chairperson Lilian Ng-Gui, PTSD is a mental health condition “triggered by a terrifying event.”

Armed Forces of the Philippines General Hospital neuropsychiatric service chief Maj. Christine de Jesus said PTSD was common in the military force.

“It is common to our military since we are all exposed to the combat, operation, encounters, and ambushes,” she said.

Aside from having flashbacks of the traumatic event, another sign of PTSD is the avoidance of anything related to the event.

“And of course, nandoon yung mga arousal symptoms,” she said. “Sobrang magugulatin sila. You can relate that to odd bevahiors and aggression.”

Ragos was confined in the hospital for over 7 months where he underwent psychotherapy, family therapy, and medication.

After he was “cured,” Ragos went back to duty, but in 2014, his PTSD symptoms returned.

“But in 2014 ... in the 65th Infantry Battalion in Lanao del Sur, within two months of his assignment, probably because of the existence of combat in the area, his symptoms returned,” said Zagala.

Ragos was confined yet again at the AFP Medical Center.

When he got better, he returned to duty again, but he was no longer assigned in combat.

“He was assigned in the headquarters service company to do headquarters duty and a lot of it is noncombat,” said Zagala. “However, still by March 2016, his symptoms returned.”

In 2017, he was given the certificate of confidentiality discharge.

PTSD in the military

According to the Philippine Army, over 20 cases were confirmed to have PTSD at the AFP Medical Center after the Marawi siege in 2017.

Over 90 percent of those confirmed cases go back to active duty while the rest who don’t heal are given the certificate of disability discharge, similar to what happened to Ragos.

According to De Jesus, although trauma can occur after combat, the military tries its best to help the affected soldiers.

“We have what you call debriefing to talk about the traumatic experience that has occured. Because as you know, as soldiers we are often faced with violence, encounters, explosions, gunfight,” she said.

“We hope that the tragic event of ... Corporal Ragos is an awakening for everyone that PTSD is real and that they need our help and understanding,” Zagala said. – RC, GMA News