However, this experience helped temper his exuberance, and by the time he graduated, his academic performance was so outstanding that he had the opportunity to choose which branch of the military he would serve in.Querubin met the love of his life, Pong Azcarraga Querubin, during his service in the Marines.

[4] He was a member of the leftist student group Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan ("Democratic Association of Youth") until he attended the Philippine Military Academy, graduating in 1979.

Querubin, along with Red Kapunan and Juancho Sabban, attempted to bring Philippine Military Academy cadets from Baguio to Manila to provide support for Honasan.

The YOU, along with another group known as the "Soldiers of the Filipino People" (SFP) and the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) participated in the attempted ouster against Corazon Aquino's government.

The Abu Sayyaf, led by the notorious commander Barahama Sali, who was known for his expertise with weapons and extreme brutality, separated the captives based on their religious beliefs.

Querubin, who had previously been granted amnesty, re-entered military service and was credited with the neutralization of Barahama Sali in 1994, which directly led to the eventual release from captivity of the Catholic priest Fr.

[4] In 2000, Lt. Col. Querubin was conferred the Armed Forces of the Philippines' highest honor, the Medal of Valor for leading a military operation against 300 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters in Lanao del Norte.

Tasked to capture the formidable MILF Camp John Mack (ABDULLATEF), headquarters of the 303rd Brigade, 3rd Field Division of the MILF commanded by the notorious Abdul Rahman G. Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, LIEUTENANT COLONEL QUERUBIN spearheaded the 1st MBLT composed of 117 officers and men in this hazardous mission against the enemy, superior in numbers and mastery of the terrain, and believed responsible for the spate of bombings in Central Mindanao and the siege of and hostage-taking at Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.

Unable to maneuver due to darkness and intense devastating fires from both heavy and light machineguns, B-40 rockets, mortar and snipers, he nevertheless ordered his men to hold the line and directed the Special Operations Squad to close in on the enemy camp and pinpoint its location to the Marines battalion artillery supporting fires, and the V-300 and V-150 armored vehicles to dislodge the enemy from their heavily fortified bunkers.

Under his inspiring leadership, his men fought ferociously forcing the enemy’s last line of defense to collapse and sending them scampering to different directions along with their dead and wounded and leaving behind their vaunted rocket launchers and high-powered firearms as well as documents of high intelligence value.

[11] After a brief respite in East Timor, Querubin found himself once again confronted by the presence of Abu Sabaya upon his return to Zamboanga City for the Christmas holidays.

However, Querubin understood that Siglos' alliance with Sabban was not entirely comforting, as jealousy over credit, especially in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf, ran deep within the military.

First, Cimatu wanted a satellite phone that had been fitted with a tracking device and smuggled into Sabaya's possession to be returned, as he was concerned it could be used for propaganda purposes, presenting more danger than opportunity.

At the time, American troops were conducting a joint civil-military exercise called Balikatan with their Filipino counterparts in Basilan and Zamboanga City, the heart of Abu Sayyaf territory.

[4] In a strategic turn of events, an Abu Sayyaf gang managed to evade detection for days, only to be pinpointed by a spy plane near a marine unit stationed from the Force Recon Battalion.

This deviation from the established strategy proved detrimental, allowing Sabaya a narrow escape route through a treacherous ravine leading to a logging trail.

[4] Despite the Scout Rangers taking over, their delayed response and conspicuous movements failed to prevent Sabaya's disappearance before dawn, leaving behind taunting traces of his presence.

Prompted by the discovery of the escape at sunrise, Captain Almonares and his unit swiftly mobilized, eventually intercepting Sabaya and his group as they paused for prayers at day's end.

Gracia's release marked a poignant moment as she prepared to return to Illinois to lay her husband, Martin, to rest following his tragic demise in the crossfire during their captivity.

As they reappeared on radar about a kilometer offshore, tensions rose as the American boat commander prepared his men for action, prompting a cautionary intervention to avoid breaching restricted territory under the Balikatan exercise terms.

[4] Amidst the escalating situation, a swift resolution unfolded as the marines and SWAGS engaged in a high-speed pursuit, culminating in a confrontation that led to the overturning of the Abu Sayyaf boat.

The fate of Sabaya remained uncertain, with reports suggesting his demise, supported by the belief that his conspicuous absence indicated a presumed end to his reign of terror.

[4] On 24 February 2006, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in the Philippines after her government foiled a supposed coup plot called Oplan HACKLE.

He was not only an excellent warrior in the jungles, fighting terrorism and insurgency, but he also represented a class of thinking Filipino soldiers imbued with a sense of idealism, willing to take urgent measures to assert their beliefs about the country's future.

[15] In 1989, Querubin was struck by a Sikorsky helicopter gunship and was mistakenly declared dead at the Quirino Labor hospital morgue until a doctor noticed his Philippine Military Academy ring and a twitch in his finger.

After suffering multiple cardiac arrests, he was transferred to the AFP Medical Center, where doctors removed part of his liver, six feet of his small intestine, and repaired his ruptured pancreas.