Who is Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin?

Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin who hugged the spotlight Sunday is no ordinary soldier. He is a recipient of the Medal for Valor, the highest commendation in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In March 2000, Querubin was the commanding officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team-1 that staged a 24-hour firefight against an estimated 300 fully armed men belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the village of Inudaran, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte. Querubin’s team captured the perceived formidable MILF Camp John Mack. Querubin, a product of the elite Philippine Military Academy Class 1979, also headed the 1st BLT composed of 117 officer and men that neutralized an MILF group led by Abdul Rahman G. Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte. The capture of Camp John Mack and the neutralization of the MILF in the area led to the “liberation" of civilians along the coastal municipalities of Lanao del Norte from the MILF, which allegedly collects revolutionary taxes amounting to P38 million annually. President Arroyo awarded Querubin the Medal for Valor in 2001 when she replaced former president Joseph Estrada after EDSA 2. Querubin was awarded for his "acts of conspicuous courage, gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty" for fighting Moro rebels. On Sunday, Querubin announced his withdrawal of support from the Arroyo administration and called for public support for Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda who was relieved from his post and was replaced by Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga. - GMANews.TV