Away from the frontlines, the Medal of Valor recipient is taking up another fight. His new mission: to promote health and financial preparedness among members of every generation — all as he inspires his fellow senior citizens to turn their sunset years into the most fulfilling chapter of their lives.
By FRANCINE Y. MEDINA
Retired Colonel Ariel Querubin’s unassuming demeanor stands in stark contrast to his turbulent life on the frontlines in major conflict zones in the Philippines.
Heads turned when he walked into the room for this interview. At 68, Querubin looks admirably trim — the fruit of his daily routine, which includes doing two hundred or more non-stop push-ups.
Getting groomed and dressed up by stylists and being directed to pose for his PeopleAsia photo shoot would have been unheard of decades ago when his daily reality meant facing unimaginable scenes of bloodshed as he led troops to fight against terrorism and insurgency.
Beneath the blazer and pants that he wears so well today are the 67 gunshot and artillery wounds he stunningly endured during his military career. Querubin, according to an article written by Tony Lopez and published in 2022, is the most decorated soldier in the Philippines, with 49 medals and decorations, including the Medal of Valor — the country’s highest military honor for courage. A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, he was a Philippine Marine Corps officer when he retired in 2010.
The retired colonel is at ease before the camera. “I can smile a lot now compared to when I was still in the military. I’ve been asked before why I hardly smile. It’s because I had so much hatred then. I was fighting on the battlefields. But now, I’m at peace with myself, my family and God,” he says.
New missions
From the battleground to a new front, Querubin has embarked on a different kind of fight — championing health and empowering fellow Filipinos to secure their future.
“When I entered the military, I was in it for my family to give them a secure future. And now that I’m known as a health advocate, I would still say I’m doing it for my children and grandchild,” says the proud family man, who wants to spend more quality years with his loved ones. “I also tell my colleagues to do the same, to invest in health and avail themselves of a good insurance plan.”
Just the same, Querubin’s passion to serve the country never waned. He’s taking another bid for a senatorial post in the forthcoming 2025 national elections. In 2009, he retired from the military to run for the first time. He is back on the road, traveling across the country and building momentum since announcing his candidacy in July.
He said he would like to inspire Filipinos to embrace patriotism and take an active role in building peace. With his Medal of Valor as proof of his steadfast courage, Querubin admits, “Of course it’s a great honor to receive the award. At the same time, when people tell me that I’m a living hero, I tell them we can all be heroes in our own way. It just so happened that in my profession, I’m on the frontlines serving the country.”
In one interview, he shared his mixed emotions about receiving the Medal of Valor. “It’s a bittersweet victory. I tend to question it sometimes and say, what’s the use of the award if I’ve lost my peers along the way and we’re fighting our fellow Filipinos? Why are we fighting when surely we could have come together for more peaceful terms?
“Every time I get the opportunity, I always say, why can’t we sit down and talk? If we continue fighting, we will not progress. Take it from me; I’ve seen it all.”
Shaping history
Querubin’s astonishing feats on the battleground have undoubtedly shaped the course of national
history. In March 2000, he led the battalion that staged the 24-hour firefight against an estimated
300 fully armed men from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.
Querubin’s brigade was able to capture the MILF Camp John Mack. And for these acts of bravery, he was awarded the Medal of Valor.
“We were very exhausted. The dark rain clouds weren’t going away. But I prayed hard for the sky to clear. And then it did. We could see more clearly and we were able to enforce our strategic maneuvers,” he recalls.
He was once presumed dead after being hit by a Sikorsky helicopter gunship rocket. He showed no vital signs and was already taken to a morgue. But a doctor saw his finger twitch and he was rushed to the AFP Medical Center to be revived.
Showing his deep loyalty to his country, he says, entails standing up for what is right. He was among the leaders of the 1989 coup attempt and the 2006 marine standoff in Fort Bonifacio for which he was incarcerated for four years. He was granted amnesty by the late President Benigno Aquino III and was released from prison in 2010.
Citizen Ariel
In contrast to such perilous life, he has also experienced countless tender moments. When he was
recovering at the ICU after being presumed dead from sustaining serious injuries, he opened his eyes and saw the angelic face of a doctor. He thought he was in heaven and thanked God for it. The woman, Dr. Loreta Cercenie, became his first wife but, sadly, she passed away in 1994 at the age of 31.
Querubin found love the second time around and has been with his second wife Pong Azcarraga
for 25 years. The couple has seven children, all accomplished in their professions and studies. Pong has two sons from a previous union — Cocolife president and CEO Jose Martin Loon and Marine Capt. John Michael Loon. Querubin has two children as well — Alfred Benjamin and Francesca Eufrosina. Pong and Querubin have three children of their own — Jose Ariel, Ariel and John Ariel.
“Whenever I look back, I always say, God carefully planned my life. I would have been the first
general in my (PMA) class. In one or two weeks I would’ve been general. But I stood for my officers and men. I fought for my principles and was jailed for four years. I was jolted by the Lord.
“He taught me that life isn’t just all about work but also about making time for family. That’s what
I hope to do now, to spend more time with my children and grandchild. I also believe that God created my destiny to meet Pong. She is a very strong woman who was always there to take up the cudgels, not just for me but for our children, especially when I went through those dark times.”
He’s ready to get out of his comfort zone again. These past years, he has been moving in the
corporate world as a consultant for a Philippine multinational conglomerate and as a brand ambassador for insurance company Cocolife.
On his social media page, he shares glimpses of his daily life, from his push-up workouts to playful moments with his adorable Puggle puppies.
In August this year, Querubin was reunited with his fiercest enemy in Kauswagan, Commander Bravo, who is now a politician and member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament. It was an emotional meeting as the two men hugged each other: “I was telling him, why did we have to go through the in-fighting when we can talk about peace after all? War has done nothing for us. But with peace, we can really do a lot for our country and our people.”
Fortified by his life-changing experiences, Querubin is ready to march forward again with a new
crusade. “I’ve often been asked why I think I’ve survived all that I’ve been through. I believe it’s because of God. He’s telling me that I still have a mission on this earth. And that is to share my knowledge, my blessings and to serve the country again.”
Photography by DIX PEREZ
Art direction by DEXTER FRANCIS DE VERA
Styling by GEO PALMIANO (MGP)
Grooming by LARS CABANACAN
