Duterte visits fallen Cebuano soldier

FORT BONIFACIO, TAGUIG – President Rodrigo Duterte visits the wake of fallen Cebuano soldier, 30-year-old Corporal Reymund Paracuelles, who died in Marawi City last June 6 while he was serving as part of the military’s engineering support group. Talking to them in Cebuano, Duterte comforts Reymund’s widow, Ann Catherine and his parents, Cesar and Leticia. The Paracuelles hail from Barangay Manduyong, Badian, southwest of Cebu (Photo courtesy of : 525th Engineer Combat Battalion, 51st Engineering Brigade, Philippine Army)

TALKING to the soldier’s family in Bisaya, President Rodrigo Duterte was at the wake of fallen 30-year-old Cebuano Corporal Reymund Paracuelles in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Sunday night.

“The President extended his condolences then shook our hand,” said Reymund’s father, 57-year-old Cesar Paracuelles.

“He also asked where we were from and so we told him from Badian, Cebu. He talked to us in Cebuano,” Cesar recounted.

Badian is a town located 106 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.

Reymund was the eldest of Cesar’s five children.

“The President nodded and then proceeded to talk to Reymund’s widow. I did not hear the rest of their conversation,” Cesar told CDN in Cebuano.

Though his family would have wanted him buried in Badian, Reymund will be laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on Saturday, June 17 upon the wishes of his wife, Ann Catherine.

“Ang dili lang g’yud nako makalimtan aning akong anak kay sobra ka buotan. Wala jud ni nagpabuyag. Manggihunaon sa ginikanan bisag minyo na. Wala sad me pasakiti og storya niya,” Cesar said.

(What I will always remember about my son was that he was very kind. He never gave us problems and always thought of his parents even though he was already married. He never said anything hurtful.)

Reymund was killed last June 6 shortly after he had spoken on the phone with his father, Cesar.

(Read: Cpl. Reymund Paracuelles: ‘He did not die in vain’ )

The fallen soldier studied fisheries at Cebu Technological University (CTU) Moalboal Campus and graduated in 2007.

He worked to become a supervisor of an Sbarro outlet in Cebu City when he decided to resign in 2012 to join the military service.

Reymund was assigned to the Army’s Engineering Battalion in Fort Bonifacio when he was deployed to Marawi City as part of the engineering support group.

It was Reymund’s first assignment to a war-stricken area.