Army vice commander succumbs to cardiac arrest

The vice commander of the Philippine Army succumbed to cardiac arrest on Monday night, a military spokesman said Tuesday. Army spokesman Col. Antonio Parlade also said that Army vice commander Maj. Gen. Rudival Cabading was also the "highest ranking officer in the active service to die of cardiac arrest" in recent years. The 55-year-old Cabading was found unconscious by family members inside the comfort room of their house at the AFP Officers Village in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City at 9:45 p.m. Monday. Cabading was still rushed to the Fort Bonfiacio General Hospital but expired at 11:45 p.m. Cabading had a history of heart problems and even underwent a heart bypass in the past, according to Army deputy spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc. The bemedalled Cabading was a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1978. He assumed the post as Army vice commander on July 11 and was due to retire on Feb. 26, 2012. "We join his whole family and friends in grieving for the loss of a loving husband, a devoted father, a good friend, and a dedicated soldier and public servant," said Parlade. Cabading will receive full military honors during his burial. Among the awards and distinctions given to Cabading throughout his military carer were the Distinguished Service Star Medals, Bronze Cross Medals, Military Merit Medals, Military Commendation Medals, Ribbons, Plaques and Badges. The most recent official to die of cardiac arrest was Marine Lt. Col. Leonard Vincent Teodoro who collapsed after a physical fitness exercise inside Camp Aguinaldo in January. — Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMA News