Mamasapano survivors, kin of SAF44 get additional benefits

Members of the Special Action Force who survived the Mamasapano incident in Maguindanao six months ago and relatives of their 44 slain comrades have received additional cash and benefits worth P24 million.

The Philippine National Police was able to raise a total of P24,367,333 from their efforts as well as donations from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and various civic groups.

Among the donors were UNTV, which raised P4 million on its own, and the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Checks were distributed to 44 parents, eight children and 29 spouses of slain SAF troopers, 15 wounded officers and 15 survivors on Monday by PNP officer in charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina.

Espina went to the turnover of checks after attending his last flag ceremony at Camp Crame. He will be retiring on July 19 when he turns 56, the mandatory retirement age for PNP, but will be given retirement honors on July 17.

Of the P24 million, P16 million will go directly to the parents and children of the slain troopers while the remaining P8 million will be deposited to the SAF foundation to be chaired by SAF head Police Director Moro Virgilio Lazo.

Like the surviving families, Espina said he, too, had the same experience when he lost his brother, a Philippine Military Academy class of 1979 graduate, who was killed in line of duty.

“Masakit. Hanggang ngayon damang dama ko. Hindi na natin maibabalik ang buhay at hinding hindi mapapantayan lahat ng tulong na pinansyal ‘yan but we have to move on (It hurts. Up to now, I still feel the pain. No amount of financial aid could ease the pain, but we have to move on),” he said.

Espina also vowed to provide assistance to the SAF families even in retirement.

“Isa po talaga sa pinakamalaking insidenteng pinagukulan ko ng panahon ay itong SAF (incident)… It is my commitment to help you in any way I could as a retired person–to fight for you and to assist you,” he said.

Espina earned public admiration for his emotional show of sympathy, despite being kept out of the loop in the operation, for the slain troopers at the height of the Mamasapano controversy.

During the ceremony, Joseph Dulnuan, father of slain trooper PO2 Joel Dulnuan from the 55th Special Action Company, received a check worth P300,000.

Joseph said they will use the cash donation to build a house for Joel’s girlfriend and one-year-old daughter in Nueva Vizcaya.

Although justice remains elusive for his son, Joseph said they could only accept the fate of Joel as a policeman.

Violeta Girum, sister of PO2 Richelle Salangan Baluga, fears that giving justice to their slain loved ones might be forgotten once the election period starts.

“Marami pang kaso na hindi na-file. Gusto lang po namin na matapos yung kaso bago mag election (There are many cases that have yet to be filed. We want these cases to be resolved before the election),” Baluga said.

For his part, Lazo said the beleaguered unit of the PNP will not stop performing its duties–subduing dangerous criminals and protecting the people.

“Ipagpapatuloy po namin ang naumpisahang laban ng aming mga kasamahan sa SAF (We will continue what our comrades in SAF have started),” Lazo said.

The P24-million donation is on top of the P80-million they received from the PNP National Police Commission, President’s Social Fund and other institutions as of March 31, 2015. AU