Marcos suspends disability discharge, promotes Army captain who lost eyes in 2016 blast

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the promotion of a Philippine Army captain who lost his eyesight in 2016 due to a bomb blast but was issued a complete disability discharge (CDD) from the military.

The President also directed the Department of National Defense to review the CDD, which separates soldiers from the service due to physical disabilities that they incurred in the line of duty.

Marcos gave the directive after Philippine Army Captain Jerome Jacuba, a soldier who lost his eyesight in an explosion in Maguindanao in 2016, was issued a CDD that ended his career in the military.

“Noong nakita ko ‘yung video niya at pinag-isipan ko ‘yung mga nangyari sa kanya, ay parang hindi tama,” he said in a video message posted on his social media accounts on Monday afternoon.

(When I watched his video and I thought that what happened to him is not right.)

“Binigyan ko ng instruction ang ating Chief of Staff na isuspende na ‘yung CDD ni Captain Jacuba. Bukod pa doon, ay dapat bigyan siya ng promotion dahil sa katapangan niya at gawin na siyang major,” he said.

(I instructed the chief of staff to suspend the CDD against Jacuba. We also said his rank should be promoted to major due to his bravery.)

The President said military personnel who suffered from physical disabilities in the performance of their duties like Jacuba may still serve in various positions within the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“In-instruction ko rin ang ating Secretary of National Defense na pag-aralan ulit itong polisiya natin para hindi naman mangyari ulit ito na ang isang sundalo natin na nasaktan dahil sa sakripisyo niya, dahil ginagawa niya ang duty niya para ipagtanggol ang Pilipinas, ay basta pagka nasaktan, ay basta bibitawan na lang natin,” Marcos added.

(I instructed the Defense Secretary [Gilberto Teodoro] to review this policy to avoid a repeat of this incident – of a soldier who was hurt because of his sacrifice, because he was performing his duty to defend the Philippines, and then he will be let go.)

Jacuba recently went viral after he announced his discharge from service due to his disability.

The President’s order came in the wake of talk about an alleged destabilization plot against the Marcos administration. — JMA, GMA Integrated News