As the nation confronts a challenging landscape in its fight for sovereignty on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the “men on a mission” from the Philippine Navy are fulfilling their commitment to protect and defend our territorial seas.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Torrefranca Trinidad’s expertise in maritime operations, military intelligence, naval planning and extensive training experiences have earned him the reputation of being one of the country’s defenders of the West Philippine Sea.

Trinidad is recognized for popularizing the term “Hooyah” within the Philippine Navy, which has led to him being referred to as the “Original Hooyah.”

He widely adopted the term “Hooyah” transforming it into a significant expression of affirmation and camaraderie within the naval warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Trinidad, who was a commodore at the time, was designated as one of the spokespersons of the Philippine government following the launch of the country’s “new assertive transparency initiative on the WPS.”

This initiative aimed to foster a “deeper sense of nationalism” among Filipinos to assert our maritime rights in the WPS, a portion of the South China Sea being claimed by Beijing as theirs.

Trinidad fearlessly tackled the issues on WPS and has valiantly defended the Philippines’ rights over its territorial waters.

He has spoken out strongly against foreign incursions in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) within the West Philippine Sea.

Since then, Trinidad has become more dedicated to fulfilling his mission as one of the vanguards of the Philippine seas — to always prioritize the nation above himself — a sacrifice that every soldier is called to make.

Trinidad believes that it is his responsibility to put forth his best effort, energy and enthusiasm when carrying out his mandate.

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Tribune, Trinidad shared he has always upheld this principle, keeping his work honorable and guided by the teachings of this Bible verse.

“If you have something to do, do it with all your might. Approach every task as if it were your last job to do,” he said.

Trinidad’s military career in his field of service has been recognized through several awards, including four Distinguished Service Stars, a Gold Cross Medal, a Distinguished Navy Cross, three Meritorious Achievement Medals, five Bronze Cross Medals, forty-two Military Merit Medals with Bronze Anahaw Leaf, and two Gawad sa Kaunlaran Medals, among many others.

Iligan City native

Trinidad, born on 23 April 1969, was a native of Iligan City.

While patriotic at heart, Trinidad admitted he never planned to join the military. Yet, in a twist of fate, life led him to serve in the uniformed service.

“I believe in divine providence,” he said, suggesting that perhaps God guided him to his path in the AFP.

Growing up in the province, Trinidad didn’t put much effort into applying to schools in Metro Manila, yet he still managed to pass the entrance exams for the University of the Philippines, La Salle and Ateneo de Manila University.

His father encouraged him to study at UP Diliman.

“I tried it. It was okay. It was a good experience,” he said.

He was in his second semester of first-year college when he and his friends decided to apply for the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Unexpectedly, he also ranked 26th out of more than 1,000 candidates for the Foreign Service Academy. But he didn’t pay much attention to it as he couldn’t report on time.

His father then urged him to try entering the PMA. Although he has no plans to enter the military service, Trinidad eventually found his career path along the way.

“I believe that I made it this far because I enjoyed everything,” he said.

Trinidad underwent rigorous training at the PMA and became one of the distinguished members of the “Sambisig” Class of 1991.

“So it was like a process of self-realization. Finding yourself along the way. So the mere fact that I continued, I enjoyed it. The mere fact that I couldn’t go back, I enjoyed it,” he shared.

Vanguards’ duties

After four years of intense preparation at the academy, Trinidad has served in numerous capacities both ashore and at sea.

His shipboard assignments included commanding the BRP Felix Apolinario (PG395), BRP Heneral Antonio Luna (PG141), and BRP Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo (PG140). He also served as the Executive Officer of the BRP Pangulo (AT25) and later became the Commanding Officer of the BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS37).

In 1992, Trinidad pursued a career in the Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG), where he trained even harder, becoming a formidable vanguard for the Philippine seas.

“As long as you think you can, just continue. What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve so as long as your mindset is that you can continue, you will be able to do it,” he said.

The NAVSOG also known as “Navy Seals” is an elite unit of the Philippine Navy trained in special operations, sabotage, psychological and unconventional warfare that specializes in sea, air and land operations ranging from reconnaissance, close combat, demolition, intelligence and underwater operation.

Fighting for lives

In 1993, Trinidad was assigned to his first significant combat mission in the Basilan province, an area where the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was actively operating at the time.

He was 24 years old back then when he became the commanding officer to lead combat operations against Abdurajak Janjali, the older brother of Moro militant Khadaffy Abubakar Janjalani, who founded the ASG, the country’s most violent jihadist group, in 1991.

Trinidad was among the soldiers who fought against the ASG, which was coined as the most notorious bandit organization in Southeast Asia, carrying out the biggest acts of terrorism in the Philippines, including the kidnap for ransom, the beheading of both military and civilians, as well as making deadly improvised explosive devices.

After years of confronting the Moro rebels in the Southern Philippines, the military finally neutralized the founder of the Abu Sayyaf Group in 1998.

Trinidad was among the victorious soldiers during that successful operation. However, this did not stop him from continuing to pursue even greater challenges and they pursued the remnants of the group.

He continued his schooling and held various positions in the Philippine Navy.

Throughout his career, Trinidad was designated as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff for Operations, N3; Director of the Naval Operations Center; Chief of Staff of Naval Forces Western Mindanao; Chief of Staff of Joint Task Force-ZamBaSulta; and Division Chief, J3. He also served as Director of the Doctrines and Exercise Planning Group, FTDC.

In 2019, he became the Deputy Commander of the Naval Education, Training and Doctrines Command.

His proficiency in special operations made him a Deputy Commander and later Superintendent of the Naval Special Warfare Group, Incident Commander during typhoon “Haiyan” at Tacloban Airport, and a Commander of Naval Task Group 50.

Additionally, he likewise served as Commander of the Littoral Combat Force and was designated as the deputy of the Philippine Fleet.

Trinidad is a concurrent Navy spokesperson for the WPS and the Naval Inspector General of the AFP.

As the Naval Inspector General, Trinidad is expected to provide advice to the Flag Officer in Command on the current status of the Philippine Navy, including its performance, challenges and issues.

He also leads the development of strategies to address deficiencies in the Navy’s systems and improve the functionality of its units and offices.

Throughout his career, Trinidad has committed to lifelong learning hence completing various local and international courses including the Naval Intelligence Officer Course, International Advanced Clearance Diving Course, Royal Navy EEZ Protection Course, Project Management Course, Tactical Tracking Operation Course and Strategic Intelligence Course.

A people person

In the Philippine Navy, Trinidad was recognized for his courageous commitment to defending the country’s maritime interests. His statements regarding the WPS captivated the public’s attention and even drew the notice of adversaries in disputed waters.

For his team, Trinidad is regarded as an effective leader who does not only focus on the successful completion of their missions but also prioritizes the welfare of the people behind him.

“He is the kind of leader who doesn’t leave his desk until all his work is completed. While ensuring that his job is done well, he also makes sure we are taken care of and allows us to receive what is rightfully owed to us,” a navy officer said when asked about Trinidad’s leadership style.

Trinidad treats his staff like family, providing all the necessary resources to create a conducive environment for everyone in his team. “I look at them as people entrusted to me. If you cannot motivate your people, you can lead them. Motivate your people to bring out the best in them,” he said.

Trinidad said a leader should be proud to become part of his people’s development. “Try to build up your people to unleash their potential. Give them the best that you to motivate them.”

If he wasn’t a soldier, Trinidad said he could have been a lawyer, as he is passionate about defending people against injustices.

Trinidad has been married to Colonel Cristina B. Trinidad, a retired chief nurse at a Naval Hospital.

During their 25 years of marriage, the couple has not had any children. Despite this, they have devoted their hearts to animals, caring for 17 rescue dogs and 13 rescue cats.”

Trinidad said he would like to be remembered as a person who motivates and gives hope to others.

“There’s is hope in the organization for the country and government. Ayusin natin ang trabaho (Let’s get our work done),” he said.