LIFE AFTER MARINES: Querubin finds spiritual and happy family life

HAPPY COUPLE. Colonel Ariel Querubin and wife Pong, pose with members of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals during the breakfast meeting held at Urdaneta City last July 23, after sharing their struggles and lessons learned. BRANDO CORTEZ

By Brando Cortez

URDANETA CITY-“I am happy with what I am now,” said Coronel Brother Ariel Querubin as he shared his and his wife Pong’s struggles in life before breakfast group that gathered to hear him.
Querubin was a guest of the Urdaneta Outreach of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) recently at the Ciudad Fernandina.
The breakfast meeting started with lively songs and prayers and introductions were made. Also present were BCBP members from Dagupan City, Balanga, Bataan and Laoag City.
Ariel and Pong alternately shared their struggles in life candidly as the audience sometimes smiled, laughed, clapped and at times had tears in their eyes.
Ariel began by declaring that he was born in Dagupan City, grew up in La Union, studied in Manila, became a member of leftist Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan until he joined the Philippine Military Academy and later enlisted with the Marines.
He was part of the coup that rebel soldiers mounted against President Corazon Aquino in 1989 where he almost died from a rocket blast near Camp Aguinaldo.
“Mabuti na lang napansin noong isang tao doon na gumalaw ang aking daliri,” Querubin said. “Nakita niya itong daliri ko na may PMA graduation ring na gumalaw kaya dinala ako agad sa hospital.”
Querubin narrated his combat experience and the battles he had fought as he revealed his most formidable enemy.
“ In the history of the AFP, I’m one of the few, if not the only one, who has fought all the armed groups—Moro National Liberation Front, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf, New People’s Army. But my most formidable enemy was the AFP,” he said
His wife Pong said “if you thought that being a marine was tough, try being the wife of a marine officer.”
She said she was pained by the imprisonment of Ariel and it pained her more when the military administration made it sure that the dependents also suffered, by being served a notice of eviction from the officers quarters.
She said that she learned a lot from the challenges she had faced.
“I learned the power of prayer, I learned the value of a simple life,” She said. “I have learned to count my blessings.”
Querubin was granted amnesty by President Benigno Aquino but his amnesty does not permit him to go back to the military.
He is now an internal security consultant for San Miguel Corporation and is busy sharing his life with BCBP breakfast meetings.
He said that he realized that the best gift that he has is his family.

“They had to take away my freedom for me to realize the value of my family,” Querubin said. “Now I am not only reformed but spiritually endowed,” he said.