Aquino arrives at Camp Crame to commemorate heroism of SAF 44

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday morning visited Camp Crame in Quezon City to honor the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers who died in the line of duty last year.

Dubbed “Commemoration of Heroism of the Gallant SAF 44,” the event marks the first anniversary of the controversial Mamasapano operation.

Aquino arrived at around 10:22 a.m. and was given arrival honors before proceeding to the venue.

During the event, Aquino will give out awards to the SAF 44 and other policemen who survived the ordeal.

The SAF 44 are the 44 Special Action Force troopers who died in combat during the infamous Mamasapano operation in Maguindanao last year. While the SAF was able to kill international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, they figured in a misencounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other armed groups, resulting in the deaths of more than 60 people.

An investigation on the operation revealed the involvement of then suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima. Aquino received flak not only for allegedly relying on a suspended official to direct the covert operation but also for seeming insensitive to the plight of the SAF families.

During the arrival honors for the SAF troopers, Aquino was in Laguna for the inauguration of an automobile factory.

READ: Aquino attends plant inauguration as bodies of slain SAF men arrive in Manila

He was again accused of snubbing the SAF in August last year when they were not included in the awardees for the PNP anniversary.

READ: SAF men removed from PNP awards list