President Aquino (center) and Special Action Force Director Moro Virgilio M. Lazo share a light moment at the turnover of command at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City, in March. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
It was “like receiving a present on your birthday but someone takes it back,” said Christine Cempron, wife of supposed Medal of Valor recipient PO2 Romeo Cempron, of what she felt when her husband was excluded from the awardees in the Philippine National Police’s service anniversary on Friday.
“Last Friday (July 31), SAF (Special Action Force) told me to prepare a Filipiniana attire because I would attend a formal event—the President will give my husband an award. I had to cancel my clinic appointments,” Cempron, a pediatrician, told INQUIRER.net.
· SAF men removed from PNP awards list
After receiving the information, Cempron traveled to Manila with a relative. She admitted, however, that SAF did not give her an exact date for the awarding ceremony but they prepared an attire for her.
“In fairness to SAF, they did not commit until they were sure that the awarding would push through,” she said.
While in Manila, Cempron said she was told that her husband’s awarding would be postponed. She believed President Benigno Aquino III himself would hand her the award.
· Was Palace behind removal of SAF men from awards list?
When she learned that the PNP anniversary rites were being shown live on television, Cempron said she was surprised that the awarding ceremonies led by the President pushed through—and her husband wasn’t part of it.
“From what I understand, the event had been cancelled. Pero napanood ko sa TV live pala ito. Natuloy pala ‘to. Bakit wala kami?” Cempron said.
Not worth commending?
SAF head Police Director Moro Virgilio Lazo said they were expecting that Mamasapano awardees would be given recognition on Friday.
But according to him, it is also clear to them that they asked Cempron’s family to fly to Manila “in case (they will be included in the program).” Lazo declined to comment further.
Several sources told INQUIRER.net that the names of SAF officers Cempron and Supt. Raymund Train have been ordered removed in the anniversary program at the last minute.
A government official who requested anonymity said there was a verbal instruction from the Presidential Management Staff to the PNP to remove the Mamasapano awardees from the list.
The official said the President did not want to “bring back the memories” of the Mamasapano operation, which stirred criticisms against the Aquino administration.
· Aquino knew of Mamasapano mission; Purisima called the shots–SAF chief
“If he doesn’t want to be reminded of the Mamasapano incident, we don’t want to be reminded of it all the more,” said Cempron.
The President has also been criticized for not mentioning in his last State of the Nation Address the achievements of SAF and the sacrifice of its troopers in neutralizing Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.
“If you’re really commending the PNP’s gains, isn’t SAF 44 worth commending as one of the greatest achievements of the PNP?” the SAF widow said.
Expedite processing of awards
Meanwhile, PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez maintained that Cempron and Train were not given their awards due to time constraints.
“Hindi umabot sa proseso kasi ’yung matataas na awards, it takes longer process to finish; hindi katulad na bibigyan ng plaque,” Marquez told reporters at the SAF Memorial Day.
Marquez also noted the flaws in parameters and criteria of the PNP awards for bravery and heroism as written in a National Police Commission circular.
“A lot of us are actually questioning that. If we strictly follow the parameters, then no one would qualify for the awards,” he said.
With this, the PNP chief vowed to ensure that the processing of awards would be hastened.
“If it wouldn’t be expedited at the PNP level, I will raise that in one of our executive meetings in Napolcom because I agree that this shouldn’t take too long,” Marquez said. Julliane Love de Jesus
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