Cirilito Sobejana

Cirilito E. Sobejana is a Philippine Army general officer and a recipient the Philippines' highest military award for courage, the Medal of Valor. Sobejana is the current commander of Joint Task Force Sulu. He was chief of staff of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in 2013.

Military education
Sobejana is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1987. He finished his Command and General Staff course at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College and underwent the Executive Course on National Security Administration at the National Defense College of the Philippines. He also holds a Masters in Public Administration degree and a fellow on corporate governance.

He is Ranger trained, Special Forces qualified, a paratrooper and a scuba diver. He trained in CBRN defense in Sweden and is a graduate of the Operations Research Systems Analysis course at the US Army Logistics Management College in Fort Lee, Virginia. He completed the Advance Security Cooperation course at Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Military service
Sobejana has been a company and battalion commander of Scout Ranger units. He was once Commandant of the Ranger School and Commander of the Civil-Military Operations Group of the Philippine Army. His other various billets include: Deputy Operations and Training Officer of the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment, Head of the Plans, Policies and Materiel Development Division of the Army Support Command, Chief of the Firepower Division at the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, J4, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Executive Officer of the Army Resource Management Office, and the Deputy Chief to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, G7, Philippine Army. He was deployed under the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNMISET) as a military observer in 2003 until 2004.

Action against the Abu Sayyaf
Sobejana was a newly minted Captain in 1995 when the platoon he was leading engaged a group of 20 Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in Isabela, Basilan. The Abu Sayyaf reinforced their comrades until Sobejana's unit was facing approximately 150 enemies. After two hours spent trading fire with the Moro insurgents, Sobejana sustained two bullet wounds to his right forearm; a third bullet wrecked his rifle. His arm was almost severed; he had to bite his right thumb to keep the arm from falling off. He then switched to firing left-handed while giving his men directions. The firefight ended after four hours with Sobejana being wounded three more times.

He refused to have his arm amputated and underwent several surgical procedures in the United States. He underwent initial surgery at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii; he would ultimately spend 10 months there, undergoing operations and reconstructive surgery. He was then transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he underwent rehabilitation.

He recovered the use of his hand and arm and has remained in active service since then. For his actions he was conferred the Medal of Valor in 1996.

Medal of Valor citation
CAPTAIN CIRILITO E SOBEJANA O-9786 PA Isabela, Basilan - 13 January 1995 "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty during an encounter with about 150 Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang members at Sitio Caro, Barangay Lower Kapayawan, Isabela Basilan on 13 January 1995, while serving as Commanding Officer of the 1st Scout Ranger Company, First Scout Ranger Regiment, Philippine Army.

When Task Group Panther received reports on the enemy concentration, it immediately dispatched one platoon under CAPTAIN SOBEJANA to check the area. While observing the reported location of enemy presence, he sighted about 20 armed enemies loitering near a cluster of houses. After assessing the situation, he directed his men to attack the enemy position which resulted to an ensuing fierce fire fight. Alerted by the incident, several Abu Sayyaf groups from nearby areas arrived to reinforce their comrades, cutting the troops from the supporting section. As the firefight raged, firepower and numerical superiority of the enemy became apparent as members of the First Scout Ranger Company incurred casualties.

After two hours of continuous fire fight, CAPTAIN SOBEJANA was hit in the lower arm as he went for the radio of a fallen soldier. Bravely holding his ground, he sustained a second bullet wound that almost severed his right arm. Still, he controlled all fire directions to best defend their position and repulse the encircling enemy. Though in pain and with a shattered rifle after it was hit by an enemy fire, he never lost composure and continued leading his men. He even maneuvered around, exposing himself to enemy fire to direct the encounter. After almost four hours of intense fighting, reinforcements from the Task Group Panther and the 4th Scout Ranger Company arrived to secure the area and evacuate the wounded. Report placed the enemy casualties at 30 killed and unconfirmed number of wounded.

By this gallantry, CAPTAIN SOBEJANA distinguished himself in combat, in keeping with the finest traditions of the Filipino soldiery."

Awards and decorations
Aside from the Medal of Valor, Sobejana is the recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Star, two Distinguished Service Stars, the Gold Cross, two Bronze Cross Medals, the Wounded Personnel Medal, several Military Merit Medals and Commendation Medals. He was recognized as an Outstanding Philippine Soldier in the Combat Category in 1995. He received the Award of Excellence for Public Service from the Governor of his province, Negros Oriental, in 2012.

Personal life
Cirilito Sobejana is married to Edna Sobejana (née Iturriaga). They have with five children: Mae Suzanne, Mae Suzzette, Sheena Joy, Sean Jayson and Siegfried Joshua.