Brave warriors, fearless soldiers, and dauntless freedom fighters—all figured prominently in our early provincial
history. Here is a more contemporary list of our finest Kapampangans in uniform
who have managed to ascend up our country’s military hierarchy—top-ranked and
acclaimed for their boldness achievements.
**********
PNP Chief OSCAR D.
ALBAYALDE
The current Philippine National Police director who
replaced Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa was born in San Fernando (b. 8 Nov. 1963).
Oscar David Albayalde went to local city schools : San Fernando Elementary
School, Pampanga High School, University of Assumption. He graduated with cum
laude honors from the Philippine Military Academy Sinagtala Class of 1986, and
also finished his Masters in Public Adminsitration at MLQ University. He started his service with
the Police Constabulary Special Action Force (SAF) from 1986-91. Among his significant positions in the Police Regional
Office-3 were: Acting Provincial Director of Pampanga Police; Chief, Regional
Intelligence Division; Chief,Regional Police Coommunity Relations, and Chief,
Regional Investigations Division. Albayalde was named Outstanding Kapampangan
in Law Enforcement in 2016.
Col. JUAN E. ARROYO
The Philippine National Police - Communications and
Electronics Service (PNP-CES) traces its beginnings at the turn of the 20th
century, originally known as the “SIGNAL CORPS” which contributed to the
development of the communications systems and facilities of the police force.
In the critical war years, beginning in
1941, Col. Juan E. Arroyo was designated
Chief Signal officer of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) until 1942, when the Japanese took over the
islands. In the period leading to
our liberation, Col. Arroyo resumed his
post as PC Signal Officer. After the war, he became the manager of the National
Steel Corp., The Arroyos are from Candaba.
Col. EMIGDIO C. CRUZ
Col. Emigdio "Meding" C. Cruz of Arayat went to U.P., finishing a
Liberal Arts course in 1923 and Medicine in 1929, at a rather late age of 31.
He was Pres. Manuel L. Quezon’s chief physician and trusted aide during the War
years. He was the recipient of the Philippine Congressional Medal of Valor and
Distinguished Service Cross in 1948, the highest award that the Philippine
government can give to its citizens, for
his “daring resourcefulness and long sustained courage” he displayed at the
height of the second World War. After Quezon’s death in 1944, Meding lingered
in the U.S., doing stints at Walter Reed Hospital, Brunns General Hospital, Ann
Arbor University Hospital and the Barnes General Hospital in Missouri. He
returned to the Philippines in Feb. 1946. Today, a government hospital stands
in Arayat—the Dr. Emigdio C. Cruz Medical Center--named after the decorated
physician-patriot who passed away in 1978.
Brig. Gen. RENE R.
CRUZ
Arayat son Gen. Rene R. Cruz had an illustrious military
career. As a colonel, he was connected with the Philippine National Police
Academy. He was also the former RaCom Commander and PC-INP Commander and, like
all high-ranking officers, was drawn into the People Power revolution in 1986.
After the police general retired, he became a director of the Bataan Shipyard
and Engineering Co. Inc. (Baseco). Gen, Cruz also headed the Philippine Olympic
Committee (POC) from 1993-96. It was during his term that boxer Manuel Velasco
won an Olympic silver in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. He was honored by his
alma mater, University of the East, a Distinguished Alumnus in Military Science
award, where he finished in 1957. He passed away of heat attack, 30 Sept.
2015.
Brig. Gen. ROMEO
S. DAVID
The unico hijo of a former San Fernando vice mayor and a
public school teacher, Romeo Soliman David attended local schools, graduating
in 1951 at the Pampanga High School. He pursued an engineering course in Manila
but opted for Philippine Military Academy when he passed the admission. At PMA, he shone in sports and in academics,
and graduated among the top of his class in 1956. He became a pilot for the
Philippine Air Force and was sent off by the Philippine government for pilot
training in the U.S. he also underwent advanced studies at the United States
Air War College in Air University, Alabama USA in 1983. David served as military
air base commander and commanding general of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines Regional Unified Command III. After his retirement, then Pres. Cory
Aquino appointed him as president of
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation in 1987-1989. Pres. Fidel Ramos
named him as president and CEO of Clark Development
Corporation and Clark International Airport in 1995-1998. The retired general
heads the Rainbow Rising High Co., Inc., a natural gas producer based in
Palawan.
Brig. Gen.
VIRGILIO M. DAVID
The general from Bacolor, Virgilio Mañago David, was a
PMA graduate, and an alumnus of Pampanga High School, Class of 1954. He was a former National
Police Commissioner, and served as the Anti-Drug Chief of during the term of
president Cory Aquino. As head of the Narcotics Command (NARCOM), he had to
revamp the agency of over 1,000 men which had been plagued with corruption
charges under 2 previous heads. Upon
retirement, he was appointed
administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority from 1992-98. He then became
its director, but his term was marred by an incident when, in late May 2005,
during an altercation with a person who parked his car in front of his house,
the general fired his gun, injuring a construction worker nearby.
Col. MIGUEL NICDAO
Guagua-born Col. Miguel Nicdao (b. 8 May 1888/d. 1938),
was but 15 when he became a pensionado (government scholar) to the U.S., a batchmate of Jose Abad Santos.
With six other Filipinos, Nicdao began his studies at Illinois State Normal
University, became a champion orator,
and graduated with an Education
degree—the youngest of the 1907 batch. Once home, he started work as Principal
of the San Luis Intermediate School. He was also assigned in Mabalacat, Apalit
and in San Fernando where he was with Pampanga High School for 3 years. The young teacher found it
frustrating to advance in his career, so in 1911, Nicdao enrolled in the
newly-opened Camp Henry T. Allen (the pre-cursor of the Philippine Military
Academy). After undergoing an intensive 3-month boot camp training, he
graduated as 3rd Lieutenant. The 23
year-old embarked on his new military
career, and led campaigns in Lanao and Cotabato, during the Moro War years
(1909-1923). He would eventually become
the District Commander for Muslim Mindanao. By 1917, he had attained the rank
of a First Lieutenant of the PC, with missions in Cagayan and Misamis. In the 1930s, he was instrumental in crushing
a Sakdalista revolt in Laguna. The bemedalled colonel passed away at age 50 of peritonitis, during
a military exercise in Leyte, and was given full military honors during his
burial.
Brig. Gen. RAMSEY
L. OCAMPO
Brig. Gen. Ramsey Lapuz Ocampo is a native of Candaba,
and a 1963 alumnus of Pampanga High School. As a police superintendent, he was
the provincial police director of Pampanga from 1990-1992, and rose to become
the Regional Director of police command VII.
Ramsey was responsible for the very good peace and order situation in
Cebu City. The general also became Chief of the Central Intelligence Service
(CIS) and NARCOM. He later pursued a law course and a doctorate degree and now
the multi-facetted general has his own law firm and is the Vice President for
Security Services of Clark.
Lt. Col. LEON F.
PUNSALAN
The West Pointer
and M.I.T. graduate who saw action with the Philippine Army was born in San Simon,
Pampanga on 3 July 1910. Leon Flores Punsalan is a 1928 Pampanga High School
alumnus . In 1936, he graduated as a Mechanical Engineer at West Point in the
top ten of his class, and he was assigned to serve in the Philippine Army in 1938. In 1940 he was
assigned in an Army base in Boston, Massachusetts and attended nigh class for
his his Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. He invented a
durable rifle cartridge ejector and obtained a patent for it. After serving for
31 years in the U.S. Army, he retired in Hampton, Virginia, where he taught
mathematics and physics at local high school. He was the founder of the
Pampanga Language Club of Virginia. Lt. Col. Punsalan was also a writer and a
poet. Died 3 October 2001 at the age of 91.
Brig. Gen. MARCOS
SOLIMAN
The general best remembered as the anonymous
whistleblower who exposed the Marcos plan to place the country under Martial
Law to oppositionist Benigno Aquino Jr., was born in Candaba (b. 25 April 1910), the son of the town police chief.
He was a classmate of Pres. Diosdado Macapagal at the Pampanga High
School, Class 1929. He graduated in 1933 from the Philippine Constabulary
Academy, and then served the PC company
in Iloilo as a lieutenant for 2 years. Soliman
was chosen to study in the Air Corps Flight School at Randolph Field, Texas. After
his tour of duty, he was appointed commandant of various ROTC units like the U.P. FEU and U.S.T. During the War, he refused to surrender to the Japanese, and became a guerilla
untilhis captured in January 1944. Though released, he continued doing espionage
work. In the post-war years, he served as Superintendent of the Philippine
Military Academy and Commanding General of the Philippine Army. Upon leaving
the military, he became chief of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
Shortly after Martial Law was declared in Sept. 1972, newspaper reported his
death due to a heart attack, but his family believed that Marcos was
responsible for his death.
Brig. Gen. BASILIO
VALDES
Basilio Valdes (b. 10 Jul 1892) with roots in
Floridablanca, was a doctor first, but also earned recognition as a military
man, and a government executive. He finished medicine at the University of
Santo Tomas and graduated with honors in 1916. Driven to serve beyond his
country, he joined the French Army as a medical volunteer, then the U.S. Army
as a surgeon from 1917-1919. He labored in Europe as part of the American Red
Cross mission. Thus began his second career in military service. Returning
home, he joined the Philippine Constabulary from 1926-1934 as medical
inspector. Pres. Manuel L. Quezon appointed him as Chief of Staff of the
Philippine Constabulary and Philippine Army in 1939, elevating his rank to a
general (he would rise to become a Brigadier General). Two years later, Basilio
was appointed as Secretary of National Defense. To expand his military
education, he attended the Command and General Staff School in Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas, graduating there in 1943. During the Japanese period, he
served under Pres. Jose P. Laurel as Secretary of Public Works. He died in 26
January 1970.
Brig, Gen. LUIS A.
VILLA-REAL
The venerable general, Luis “Louie Villa-Real, was a
graduate of Culver Military School who joined the Philippine Army and headed its 21st
field artillery. He fought in World War II and is acknowledged as one of the
valiant Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, having also walked in the Death
March. He was to serve many presidents, including Pres. Cory Aquino who
appointed him head of National Intelligence Coordinating Authority (NICA) after
the fall of Marcos. Known as a Huk fighter in his time, he also headed the Philippine
Anti-Communist League. He was never known to be political; in fact, he was
critical of the military hierarchy in Pres. Aquino’s time, proof that he was a
true servant of the Filipino people. The Villa-Reals trace their roots in
Arayat.
Maj. PORFIRIO
ZABLAN
The early years of Philippine aviation count only some
400 military men--all chosen between 1907 to 1935, with Pres. Quezon’s approval. Among the first 10 Filipinos to undergo actual
flight training were 10 Philippine Constabulary (PC) officers, led by
topnotcher 1st Lt. Porfirio Zablan; and 23 recruits from the National Guard. Zablan,
who rose to the rank of a Major, became
the first fighter pilot of the Philippines, but perished while training in the
U.S. in 17 June 1935. In his memory, the Zablan Airfield in Quezon City was
named after him.
(OTHER RANKING KAPAMPANGANS IN THE MILITARY:
Col. (Ret.) Vicente A. Pascual (Arayat), Commodore Lodovigildo L. Gantioqui,
Ph. Navy (Arayat), Col. Sergio Sanchez, Col. Federico Calma, Col. Auelio Miranda, Col.
Gregorio Yambao, Col. David Pelayo, Col. Pacifico Marin, Col. Diosdado
Garcia,Col. Migule Pingul, L.t Col. Felix Duenas (Phil Coconut Authority
director), Maj. Conrad Flores, Lt. Col. Patricio Buyson, Major Rufino Dizon,
Capt. Crescencio Pineda)
SOURCES:
Oscar Albayalde: Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award 2016
souvenir program
Juan Arroyo:
Rene R. Cruz, Luis Villareal: The Pampangos, by Rafaelita
Hilario Soriano, 1999, 218 pages
Basilio Valdes, Emigdio Cruz. Miguel Nicdao: www.viewsfromthepampang.blogspot
Marcos Soliman: PHS Golden Jubilee 50th
Yearbook, 1962
Romeo David, Virgilio M. David: History of Pampanga
Towns, by Andro Camiling, http://www.andropampanga.com/history_phs.htm
Ramsey Ocampo: http://www.pampangapolice.com/pds_now.html
Leon Flores Punsalan: The Untold Battle of Leo Punsalan, https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1995/vp950910/09070045.htm
Porfirio Zablan:PacificWrecks.org https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/philippines/paf-history-1.htm
