MANILA, Philippines — Hours before she found out her husband died, Melanie, wife of fallen Army Scout Ranger Captain Gromel Auman, woke up sobbing from a bad dream, a possible premonition that something had gone wrong.
“Nanaginip ako ng madaling araw siguro ‘yun ‘yung time na naghihingalo siya. Nanaginip ako na may namatay. Niyayakap ko ‘yung puntod tapos humihikbi akong nagising,” she said on Tuesday at the wake of her husband at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig.
(I had a dream at dawn, probably the same time he was fighting for his life. I dreamed that someone had died. In my dream, I was embracing a casket until I woke up sobbing.)
Auman, 34, died in Maguindanao early Sunday while his team from the Army’s 6th Scout Ranger Company (6SRC) were supposed to extricate three soldiers from the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion who died in previous clashes with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
READ: Elite Army officer, 3 soldiers killed in clash with BIFF
He was the first Army officer to die in the ongoing all-out offensives by the military against the BIFF in Central Mindanao that started last month. His unit was deployed in Maguindanao only on Thursday, a few days before his death.
“Their mission was to extricate ‘yung mga killed in action. Alam ko naman ever since na walang iwanan sa kanila. Siya mismo na extricate ng (commanding officer niya) eh (I have known ever since that for them, no one leaves a man behind. He himself was extricated by his commanding officer),” Melanie said, referring to Captain Blas Asiyao.
The slain Scout Ranger captain, who served the military for nine years, was shot on the neck and his chest, which killed him. Five other soldiers were wounded.
Melanie, 31, was in her hometown in Tuguegarao in Cagayan Valley when the fateful day happened. Their three-year-old son, Hyram Mathhew, was then in Manila with his grandmother, Melanie’s mother, for a vacation.
“’Yung anak din daw namin umiiyak nu’ng ganung time, kwento ni mama (Our son was also crying around that time, my mom told me),” Melanie recounted.
She even greeted his military husband good morning through a text message on that day but she no longer received a reply.
Melanie said the news took a while to sink in when she was told of what happened to her husband.
It was then she started to realize that the past year could have been the ‘preparation’ for his departure.
“’Yung 2014 ‘yun siguro ang God’s will niya for leaving. Kasi almost one year nandito sila sa Luzon, sa Bulacan. Lahat ng special occasions na-attendan n’ya for the first time in almost seven years of our marriage — birthdays, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, New Year. Ngayon ko lag na-realize na kaya siguro nangyari ‘yun dahil prine-prepare kami sa pag-alis niya,” she said.
(The year 2014 was probably God’s will before he could leave us. He was here in Luzon, in Bulacan, almost the entire year. He was able to attend all occasions for the first time almost seven years of our marriage– birthdays, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, New Year. It is only now that I have realized that that was God’s way of preparing us for his death.)
A day before the 6SRC was deployed to Maguindanao, he said his goodbye to his son, Melanie recalled.
“Aalagaan mo ang mommy mo ha (Take care of your mom),” he told their son.
Melanie said he even hugged his mother-in-law, which he did not usually do.
‘He died a hero’
Melanie had always known that her husband loved his job and he remained true to his duty until his dying breath.
“He died a hero. Sana hindi makalimutan ng Armed Forces ’yong naging sacrifice niya. Living testimony kaming mag-ina sa hirap na pagdadaanan ng mga naulila dahil sa mga nangyayari sa bansa natin,” she said.
(He died a hero. I hope the Armed Forces doesn’t forget his sacrifices. My son and I are a living testimony on the struggle of those who lost their loved ones because of what’s happening in our country.)
The widow said she doesn’t know how to cope with the loss but she is trying to be strong for their son.
“I love him so much. Sana gabayan niya pa rin ako, ipagdasal niya makayanan ko lahat ito. He had always been my strength. I did not only lose a husband but also a best friend. Ipagdasal n’ya kami ng anak n’ya at patuloy na gabayan kahit na wala na s’ya,” she said.
(I love him so much. I hope he still guides me and prays for me that I be able to survive all these. He had always been my strength. I did not only lose a husband but also a best friend. I hope he continues to pray for me and his son and guide us even now that he’s already gone.)
On Tuesday night, he was posthumously awarded the Gold Cross Medal, the third-highest award for combat in the military.
AFP chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr. handed the award to Melanie during the necrological service.
“Captain Auman courageously led his platoon to the encounter site to carry out their given missions.
Despite being heavily fired upon by enemy mortars, subject Officer disregarded his personal safety and bravely returned fire that resulted to the hasty withdrawal of the enemy and successful recovery of one (1) 7.62 mm, M14 rifle and one (1) 7.62 mm M60 machine gun. Captain Auman valiantly defended his position until his untimely demise. By this gallantry, Captain Auman exemplified the finest tradition of Filipino soldiery,” part of his citation read.
Auman will be flown to Tuguegarao through an Air Force C130 cargo plane on Wednesday. He will be buried there on March 22.
Military operations to continue
The military offensives, which have displaced at least 60,000 in Central Mindanao, continued as of Wednesday.
READ: 64,600 flee in Army, BIFF clashes in Maguindanao
It was also aimed to catch bomb maker Basit Usman, who escaped a police operation that resulted to the death of top terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.