Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana brought holiday cheers to wounded soldiers on Tuesday at the V. Luna Hospital in Quezon City.
The defense secretary handed out goodies and gift certificates worth P3,000 to about 130 soldiers at Heroes Ward.
“Like what President Duterte said let us be generous to soldiers because they fight for us everyday,” he said in his message after the gift-giving, a tradition among defense chiefs.
Lorenzana, who was once an Army officer himself, thanked the soldiers for the sacrifices they make to keep the country at peace.
Private First Class Benjie Colaljo, one of the patients from Heroes Ward who received a holiday treat from Lorenzana, said it was a boost for their morale that the defense secretary is visiting them.
The soldier sustained shrapnel wounds in an encounter against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu last August where 15 men were killed.