President to honor heroes of Zamboanga siege

Early Monday at Camp Aguinaldo, President Benigno Aquino III will join the military officers and men who fought in the Zamboanga siege to show appreciation to those who have survived and remember those who have perished.

At 7 a.m., Mr. Aquino will lead the flag-raising ceremony at military headquarters to be followed by a ceremony where individual soldiers’ efforts will be recognized.

A total of 25 security forces were killed in action: four junior officers from the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police (PNP); and 21 enlisted personnel from the Army, the PNP and the Philippine Navy and Marines.

These soldiers and policemen died rescuing nearly 200 residents of Zamboanga City who were taken hostage by a rebel faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) loyal to its founder, Nur Misuari, in September.

The Armed Forces has yet to release the list of awardees but the Inquirer  has learned that the highest awards to be conferred by the President are  the Distinguished Conduct Star, the Distinguished Service Star and the Gold Cross medals.

The Distinguished Conduct Star and the Gold Cross awards are the second and third highest combat awards the AFP gives to its soldiers. The highest military combat award is the Medal of Valor.

“The military gives due recognition to the sacrifices and heroism of our soldiers, especially in combat. In Zamboanga, the AFP was able to do its mission and Monday’s awarding ceremony is representative of the bravery of the thousands of soldiers who fought there … to save lives,” Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, AFP public affairs information chief, told the Inquirer by phone on Saturday.

It was the rescue of the hostages—a directive of President Aquino as Commander in Chief—that prolonged the security operations and made the campaign difficult.

“The consideration of the hostages was what restrained us and made us very deliberate. It would have been different if the direct action was to destroy the enemy,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista told the Inquirer shortly after the crisis was declared over.

In a separate interview, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Mr. Aquino stressed “the importance of every life, whether it was a combatant, a hostage or an MNLF.”

“We had to ensure that the combatants were segregated from noncombatants. That was the most difficult part of the operation,” he said.

Asked if Mr. Aquino may have taken his cue from the Luneta Grandstand fiasco in 2010, Gazmin said he did not know, but added, “Every experience is a teacher.”

ARMY soldiers killed in Zamboanga

1ST LT. FRANCIS G. DAMIAN

A graduate of PMA Class 2007, he was wounded on Sept. 13 in an encounter with an undetermined number of rogue Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members in Barangay  Sta. Barbara, Zamboanga City. He died at Ciudad Zamboanga Hospital on Sept. 24. He was 28.

2ND LT. FLORENCIO MIKAEL MENESES

A graduate of PMA Class 2011, he was wounded on Sept. 13 while conducting clearing operations at Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City. He died at Ciudad Zamboanga Hospital on Sept. 23. He was 27.

1ST LT. JOHN KRISTOPHER B. RAMA

A graduate of PMA Class 2008, he died in Barangay Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 19. He was 30.

CPL. MICHAEL G. BALTAZAR

Assigned to the 1st Light Reaction Company, Light Reaction Battalion, he died in Sta. Barbara, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 11. He was 37.

CPL. ALLAN R. CAMERINO

Assigned with the Light Reaction Battalion, Special Operations Command, he died in Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City on Sept. 17. He was 33.

CPL. MARK HIMSON G. CARANZO

Assigned with the 2nd Light Reaction Company, Light Reaction Battalion, he died in Sta. Barbara, Zamboanga City on Sept. 11. He was 30.

CPL. JOSEPH M. CUSTODIO

Assigned to  the 3rd Light Reaction Company, Light Reaction Battalion, he died in Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 25. He was 40.

PFC. ALBIN P. DAYNA

Assigned to the 1st Scout Ranger Company, 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, he died in Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 16. He was 29.

CPL. JESICHRIS N. REYEG

Assigned with the 1st Light Reaction Company, Light Reaction Battalion, he died in Sta Catalina, Zamboanga City on Sept. 24. He was 33.

PFC. JULMUIN I. ABDULAHID

Assigned with the 32nd Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, he died in Sta. Barbara, Zamboanga City on Sept. 11. He was 50.

PFC. JAY P. OLIVAR

Assigned to the Light Reaction Battalion, Special Operations Command, he died in Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 17. He was 28.

PFC. IAN O. PAQUIT

Assigned to the 3rd Scout Ranger Company, he died in Sta Catalina, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 30. He was 21.

PVT. SERGIO BUAGAS JR.

Assigned to the 1st Scout Ranger Company, 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, he died in Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 16. He was 21.

PVT. HAKIM I. JAAFAR

Assigned to the 44th Infantry Battalion, he died in Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 30. He was 44.

SSG. JOSEFINO B. SERVILLA

Assigned with the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, he died in Sta Catalina, Zamboanga City on Sept. 21. He was 38.

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE

INSP. JAY LATAWAN OY-OYAN

A police inspector from the Philippine National Police Academy in Silang, Cavite, he was able to trap five MNLF members during an operation before he was attacked and killed by the rebels in a mosque in Zamboanga City. He was 25.

PO3 MURPHY ABBILANI

Assigned to the Zamboanga City Police Office, he was hit as the battle raged and eventually died at the hospital while undergoing medical treatment. He was 50.

PO2 CHRISTOPHER REBATO HERNAEZ

Assigned to the Special Action Force based in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City, for five years, he took a special training in revolutionary warfare in the 5th SAF Batallion, Zamboanga City, before he was sent to the war zone. He was scheduled to marry his fiancée in two months but was killed in an attack staged by rebels. He was 31.

PHILIPPINE NAVY PERSONNEL KIA

PETTY OFFICER 3 JOSE AUDREY BAÑARES

A member of Naval Special Operations Unit 6 bases at Naval Forces Western Mindanao, he was killed on Sept. 9 during a Maritime Interdiction Operation against about 400 MNLF breakaway members who attacked Zamboanga City and held hostages innocent civilians.

CPL. EDUARDO C. SAQUING

A member of Basic Naval Special Warfare/SEAL course class ’69, he died on Sept. 26 during a clearing operation of Naval Special Operation Unit 8 with the AFP joint special operation group in Sta. Barbara, Zamboanga City.

PFC. JEFFREY N. CASTILLO.

Assigned to Misamis Oriental and deployed to Zamboanga City to help repulse the MNLF rebels loyal to Nur Misuari, he was killed in clashes in Kasanyangan village. He was 24.

PFC. JUFFEL G. OLAER

Assigned to the Marine Battalion Landing Team 3, he entered the military service on March 5, 2010, and was a member of Marine Basic Course Class 387.

PFC. FREN V. PAREÑAS

Assigned to the Marine Battalion Landing Team 3  from Barangay Badiangon, Arakan town, North Cotabato province, he entered the military service on Oct. 15, 2009, and became a member of Marine Basic Course Class 382.

PO2 LAWIN B. SALISA

Assigned to the Special Action Force of the Rapid Deployment Batallion, he was killed in combat against MNLF members in Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City, on Sept. 24. He will be transported to his hometown in Barangay Payeo, Besao town, Mt. Province.

PO2 ENRIQUE E. AFABLE III

Assigned with the Special Action Force of the Rapid Deployment Batallion, he was killed in a clash with MNLF rebels in Barangay Sta. Catalina on Sept. 24. His remains will be flown to Dolores, Eastern Samar.