‘Praise the Lord, now we can get married, finally!’

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE common law wife of Coast Guard SN1 Rod Allain Daba Pagaling yesterday heaved a sigh of relief after she received word that her partner was freed from the Abu Sayyaf.

“God has answered my prayers. Praise the Lord, we can get married, finally!” said 28-year old Judith Pradia. Pagaling and Pradia of Zone 10, Upper Carmen, this city, were supposed to tie the knot in May 25, the day their daughter Allaina celebrated her third birthday, had it not been for the Abu Sayyaf that snatched the coast guard along with two others––SN2 Gringo Villaruz of Baluarte, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, and Rodolfo Boligao of Dapitan––in Aliguay island in May 4. Pradia was in high spirits yesterday as she met with Mayor Oscar Moreno at city hall where she sought help so she could fly to Manila and meet her partner there. Her mood was the exact opposite early this month after news broke out that the Abu Sayyaf beheaded Boligao, barangay chairman of Aliguay, Dapitan. That made her and relatives of Pagaling very nervous. “I’ve been relieved since this morning, thanking God for saving him,” Pradia told the Gold Star Daily.

Pradia is scheduled to leave for Manila today with her daughter Allaina and Pagaling’s sister Joy to be reunited with SN1 Pagaling at the Coast Guard headquarters in Manila.

She said she first learned that Pagaling and Villaruz saw freedom from the Coast Guard. “When my cellphone rang, I became very nervous. It turned out to be good news,” Pradia said.  She said she was grateful because the government listened to her appeal and acted on it. Pagaling’s sister Joy and Pradia met with Moreno and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II in a fastfood at Limketkai center last week, and discussed the problem.

Moreno said Roxas assured the family during the meeting that the government would do its best to save the two coast guards.