Full military honors will be accorded to Sgt. Maximo Olivarez upon the return of his body to Negros Occidental, Army spokesman Maj. Harry Cabunoc said yesterday.

The cadaver of Olivarez was expected to arrive in Negros Occidental last night.

Cabunoc also said Olivarez is entitled to a Bronze Cross Medal, in recognition of his heroism.

Olivarez, a member of the 66th Infantry Battalion Charlie Company, was not killed in a war, but by the fury of nature. He was among the Army soldiers deployed in the far-flung areas of New Bataan town in Compostela Valley for rescue operations in the wake of super typhoon Pablo.

Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesman of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said that 66th IB Charlie Company soldiers headed by 1Lt. Alex Deazeta were dispatched to the area to conduct rescue operations when the landslide hit them.

Three other 66IB soldiers were also killed, and three injured, including Deazeta, while eight others are still missing, after their temporary command post was swept away by flashfloods, military records show.

Cabunoc said the family of Olivarez will also receive financial assistance from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and educational assistance for his children, among others.

Olivarez is married to a teacher in Moises Padilla town, and they have two children. He had served the Philippine Army for 13 years.*GPB

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