Members of PMA ’83 mourn COVID death of 3 mistahs
MEMBERS of the Philippine Military Academy ‘Matikas’ Class of 1983 led by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año are mourning the death of three of their mistahs, all hit by the deadly COVID-19 virus in a span of two weeks.
First to succumb to the deadly disease last August 26 was retired Army Major General Romeo G. Gan, the deputy administrator for administrative and finance of the National Irrigation Administration.
He was followed by retired Police Brig. Gen. Allan C. Guisihan, who was the Executive Director of the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime with the rank of Undersecretary when he passed away last September 4.
Last Saturday, another member of the class — retired Brig. Gen. Asher A. Dolina — the NIA Security and Management Consultant for Western Mindanao died after contracting the virus. Dolina was a known “strongman” whose hobby was long-distance running and swimming before he was afflicted by the disease. He used to be a Police Regional Office 8 director in Eastern Visayas.
“We are asking for prayers for our three dear departed mistahs. Right now, we are really in grief over their untimely demise,” a member of PMA Class 1983, retired Police Major Gen. Juanito B. Vaño Jr. told the Journal Group.
A member of PMA ‘Makatao’ Class of 1989 Army Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan also died of COVID-19, the Journal Group learned.
As of Monday, there were 108 Philippine National Police personnel who have died of COVID-19 since March last year, the highest-ranked of them the late Brig. Gen. Jonathan M. Ureta, a product of the PNP Academy who was the director of the PNP EOD/K9 Group when he contracted the virus and died early this year.
