Army private receives medal at his burial in Camarines Sur

MANILA, Philippines—An Army private on Wednesday was posthumously promoted to corporal and received the military’s third-highest award for his heroic sacrifice of saving his fellow soldiers during a clash with communist rebels in San Miguel town in Catanduanes last March 26.

Private First Class Edel Llamas, a member of the 83rd Infantry Battalion, died after he provided covering for his colleagues with his submachine gun despite heavy enemy fires. His act allowed his fellow soldiers to get off the truck they were in and engage the New People’s Army (NPA) in a five-minute firefight before the communist rebels retreated.

At the time, a military truck with a platoon of soldiers coming from a security patrol to watch over a hydroelectric plant was ambushed by communist rebels in Balatohan village, San Miguel, at about 1:30 p.m.

The soldiers recalled that Llamas was shouting at them, “Baba na, baba na, ako na bahala dito (Get off the truck, I’ll take care of this),” as he fired his K3 submachine gun at the rebels.

The attack was made three days before the 43rd anniversary of the NPA on March 29.

Llamas, 24, was finally laid to rest on Holy Wednesday in his hometown Libmanan in Camarines Sur, Major Angelo Guzman of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division said.

Captain Ronnie Rendaje of the Personnel Department from the 9th Infantry Division handed the Gold Cross Medal to Salvacion Llamas, mother of the young private.

The Gold Cross Medal is the third-highest award in the military, as his brave act saved 29 lives,  Guzman explained.

Originally posted:  4:51 pm | Thursday, April 5th, 2012