Ariel Porfirio Oliva Querubin was born on 28 March 1956 and is a retired Philippine Marine Corps officer and a recipient of the Philippines' highest military award for courage, the Medal of Valor.
35 Facts About Ariel Querubin
1.
2.
Ariel Querubin is highly decorated soldier in the Philippines and was placed in various positions in the military prior to his retirement in 2010.
3.
Ariel Querubin grew up in La Union and studied in Manila.
4.
Ariel Querubin met the love of his life, Pong Azcarraga Ariel Querubin, during his service in the Marines.
5.
Ariel Querubin was a member of the leftist student group Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan until he attended the Philippine Military Academy, graduating in 1979.
6.
Ariel Querubin then opted to become an officer in the Philippine Marine Corps.
7.
In 2003, Ariel Querubin obtained his master's degree in Defense Studies from the University of Canberra, Australia.
8.
Ariel Querubin is a highly decorated military officer renowned for his courageous career and legendary combat exploits.
9.
Ariel Querubin has endured an astonishing 67 battle and artillery scars throughout his service.
10.
Ariel Querubin holds the distinction of being one of the most highly decorated officers in Philippine military history, having received a total of 49 medals.
11.
Ariel Querubin has actively participated in various military operations against the Communist insurgency in the Philippines and the Moro conflict.
12.
Ariel Querubin is credited with neutralizing several rebel leaders from both the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army and the Moro National Liberation Front.
13.
Additionally, Ariel Querubin is said to have played a role in the rescue operation of Hans Kunzli, a Swiss national who was kidnapped by a group led by a former member of the Moro National Liberation Front.
14.
In 1989, then-Captain Ariel Querubin was a co-founder of the Young Officers' Union.
15.
Ariel Querubin almost died in clashes with troops loyal to the government.
16.
Some reports indicate that he suffered from a gunshot wound; Ariel Querubin himself stated that he was wounded by a rocket blast during clashes in Camp Aguinaldo.
17.
Ariel Querubin, believing Soriano had vital information about Sali, threatened to throw his camera into the sea if he did not divulge the information.
18.
Ariel Querubin, who had previously been granted amnesty, re-entered military service and was credited with the neutralization of Barahama Sali in 1994, which directly led to the eventual release from captivity of the Catholic priest Fr.
19.
Ariel Querubin was conferred the Armed Forces of the Philippines' highest honor, the Medal of Valor for leading a military operation against 300 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters in Lanao del Norte.
20.
On 21 June 2002, a team led by Ariel Querubin, aided by US forces and equipment, tracked Sabaya who was killed in a firefight at sea.
21.
Siglos sought Ariel Querubin's advice, informing him that he had switched sides and was now working with Ariel Querubin's old friend and comrade-in-arms, Colonel Juancho Sabban, in the rescue effort for the Burnham couple and nurse Deborah Yap.
22.
However, Ariel Querubin understood that Siglos' alliance with Sabban was not entirely comforting, as jealousy over credit, especially in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf, ran deep within the military.
23.
Colonel Ariel Querubin protested his removal and some Marines started a vigil at Fort Bonifacio.
24.
Ariel Querubin stated that they would wait there for the people to protect them.
25.
Ariel Querubin was detained at Camp Aguinaldo and recommended to undergo pretrial investigation and facing a mutiny charge.
26.
Ariel Querubin was deemed resigned on 30 November 2009 but formally retired on 23 December 2021 when the Philippine Marine Corps tendered his long-awaited retirement and testimonial ceremony.
27.
Ariel Querubin was not only an excellent warrior in the jungles, fighting terrorism and insurgency, but he represented a class of thinking Filipino soldiers imbued with a sense of idealism, willing to take urgent measures to assert their beliefs about the country's future.
28.
Ariel Querubin worked as an internal security consultant for San Miguel Corporation after being granted amnesty.
29.
Ariel Querubin resigned his commission from the Armed Forces of the Philippines when he ran for a Senate seat as a member of the Nacionalista Party during the 2010 elections.
30.
Ariel Querubin's candidacy was not successful, only garnering 6.5 million votes and landing him 19th place in the senatorial race.
31.
Ariel Querubin supported Grace Poe's candidacy during the 2016 presidential election.
32.
Ariel Querubin ran for a Senate seat in the 2025 Philippine Senate election.
33.
In 1989, Ariel Querubin was struck by a Sikorsky helicopter gunship and was mistakenly declared dead at the Quirino Labor hospital morgue until a doctor noticed his Philippine Military Academy ring and a twitch in his finger.
34.
Ariel Querubin later became his first wife and gave birth to their two children, Alfred Benjamin and Francesca Eufrosina.
35.
Ariel Querubin became a stepfather to Pong's children from her previous marriage, Atty.