Charles Teves
Chief of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Gen. Cirilito Sobejana was disrespected by a netizen after he got spotted saluting with his left arm during the military’s eight-gun salute to former President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III who died on June 24 due to renal disease.
The netizen took screenshots of Sobejana’s way of saluting and flat-out made fun of it, saying that even security guards know the basics of doing the gesture.
Former Agriculture of the Philippines secretary Manny Piñol took notice of the netizen’s ridiculing and couldn’t help but comment on the post.
He explained that the reason why Sobejana saluted with his left arm is that his right arm was badly injured during an encounter with the Abu Sayaff early in his career.
Sobejana’s left arm salute also symbolizes courage and patriotism. His right arm was so badly injured that doctors recommended that it be amputated but he refused. He then received the Medal of Valor, the highest military award for courage in the country.
“…ang pagpupugay n’ya na gamit ang kaliwang kamay ay simbolo ng katapangan at kabayanihan, hindi katangahan.sana nagtanong-tanong muna kayo bago nyo siya kinutya,” Piñol commented.
He doesn’t even know where this “toxic” attitude is coming from. It is clearly un-Filipino.
“Where is this toxicity coming from? What is happening to us? Have we become a nation of fault-finders?” he asked.
Piñol is afraid that the youth may follow the same behavior and pleads the public to avoid doing such.
