FORMER Marines Col. Ariel Querubin, currently the most decorated soldier in the country’s history, has killed dozens of men in the battlefield but said he could never put to death a criminal who is defenseless or does not endanger the lives of others.
“I have never killed anyone defenseless. My conscience cannot bear to kill or have anyone killed who is defenseless or is not really a threat to the lives of innocent people,” Querubin, a Medal of Valor awardee, stressed.
A deeply religious Catholic, Querubin made this assurance as he confirmed that he accepted the offer of Senator Grace Poe to be her anti-crime czar should she win the presidency.
Querubin said he has agreed to take on the role offered by Poe shortly before the Partido Galing at Puso standard bearer made the announcement during the last presidential debate in Cebu City.
“Instead of funeral parlors, I will ask government to build bigger jails,” he said when asked how he will deal with criminals.
Although he has become an active member of a Catholic charismatic community, Querubin said he supports the restoration of the death penalty for heinous crimes.
However, he said his law enforcement style should not be compared to that of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who has vowed to put an end to criminality, drug abuse and government corruption within three to six months of his presidency.
“Nobody will be spared if he or she violates the law, even if he is a relative of the president,” he replied when asked how he would deal with a theoretical situation where the suspect is a presidential relative.
The retired military officer said he is “honored to serve my country” even if this means he will have to give up the perks and privileges of a well-secured job as San Miguel Corp.’s top executive for security.
“If Senator Grace wins the presidency, that means, God wants me to serve my country again,” he explained.
Querubin believes that the drug abuse problem remains the foremost criminality concern in the country, with the Abu Sayyaf and graft and corruption in government following closely behind.
“At least 80 percent of all crimes in this country are drug-related. The source of drugs will be our principal target, but we will treat drug users as victims who will be spared from harm unless they committed a crime,” he said.
A member of PMA Class 1979, Querubin scoffed at putting a time frame to end crime, drugs and corruption in the country, saying that there is no definite time frame in accomplishing the anti-crime tasks.
Nevertheless, he vowed to drastically reduce incidence of drug trafficking, crime and corruption in a short period of time if requisites for combatting them are readily available.
“Maximum and well-equipped intelligence operations from the national down to the barangay level is important. Equally significant in this effort is for government to pay our law enforcers well,” Querubin explained.
Only 59, Querubin’s record of kills reached 44, all of them in the battlefield against New People’s Army and Moro Islamic LIberation Front rebels and Abu Sayyaf bandits.
He led a team that neutralized infamous Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya and earned his Medal of Valor in 2000 by leading a small team of Marines that faced 800 heavily armed MILF men in Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte.
They were able to capture Camp John Mack that served as the nerve-center of the Muslim group’s secessionist operations.
In his long military career, Querubin has harvested nearly all medals that the AFP could offer, except the Wounded Personnel Medal.
