FACE THE HEROES The remains of SAF members are borne on the shoulders of their colleagues at Villamor Air Base. Interior Secretary Mar Roxas led gov’t and police execs including DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima, DOTC Secretary Emilio Abaya and presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. LYN RILLON
CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet—Saturday was a day of honor and mourning for slain members of the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force (SAF) as their remains arrived in various provinces in northern Luzon.
In this camp, the regional headquarters of the Cordillera police, a Mass and honor rites were held for seven SAF members who died in a clash with Moro rebels in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province on Jan. 25. Their remains arrived here early morning Saturday after a wake at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
Among those honored here were PO3 Noel Golocan, PO2 Jerry Kayob, PO2 Noble Kiangan, PO2 Walner Danao, PO2 Peterson Carap, PO1 Gringo Cayang-o and PO1 Angel Kodiamat.
The body of Senior Insp. Gednat Tabdi was taken to his parents’ house in Barangay Buyagan here on Friday night. Tabdi’s remains will be returned to Zamboanga City, where his wife is based.
The remains of three SAF men from Cagayan valley region arrived in Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya provinces on Saturday morning, after an 11-hour land trip from Camp Bagong Diwa.
The convoy carrying the remains of PO2 Joel Dulnuan arrived to a hero’s welcome in Barangay Ocapon in Villaverde town in Nueva Vizcaya at 5:30 a.m.
Residents lined the highway from the capital town of Bayombong to Solano and Villaverde, where the five-vehicle convoy passed, escorted by police patrol cars.
The hearses of PO3 Rodrigo Acob and PO3 Andres Duque Jr. arrived in Barangay Esperanza East and Divisoria in Aurora town in Isabela, respectively, at around 6:30 a.m., and were met by local officials and policemen, said Supt. Alex de los Santos, spokesperson of the Cagayan Valley regional police office.
The remains of PO1 Loreto Capinding II reached Villa Fuerte village in San Mateo town in Isabela at about 8 a.m.
In Pangasinan province, policemen and residents welcomed the remains of PO2 Ephraim Mejia in San Nicolas town also on Saturday morning. Reports from Vincent Cabreza, Kimberlie Quitasol, Melvin Gascon and Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon