DILG chief: SAF 44 families prevented from attending ceremony by some pols

Certain politicians allegedly discouraged the families of the “Special Action Force 44” to attend the awarding ceremony in Camp Crame led by President Aquino on Monday.

Interior Secretary Mel Sarmiento said in an ambush interview that there were accounts from police officials that some politicians prevented the families who are protesting the awards given to their dead from showing up at the ceremony.
“There are processes for the Medal of Valor. May mga strict guideline in awarding Medal of Valor and we don’t want to set aside those requirements. Napakataas nung award na iyon,” Sarmiento told reporters after the flag ceremony in Camp Crame.

Some families want the Philippine National Police leadership to award the same medal PO2 Romeo Cempron and Chief Insp. Gednat Tabdi received to the rest of the SAF 44 who perished in the bloody Mamasapano clash exactly a year ago.

“Huwag po natin haluan ng pulitika. Yes, we want justice for them, but ‘wag po natin gawin isang political event ‘yung nangyari sa kanila,” said Sarmiento.

Sources said the camp of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and former Tarlac Governor Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, who has been very vocal against the Aquino administration on the issue of Mamasapano incident, are the ones discouraging the families.

Cojuangco, Aquino’s aunt, is also the former president of the Philippine Public Safety College which supervises the PNP Academy and training centers for the police.

PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said he instructed the SAF to invite all families for the ceremony with the promise that their fare, accommodation and clothing expenses will be shouldered by the PNP.

But since some families are refusing to attend, Marquez said: “I made these instructions na kung hindi sila pupunta, I will recommend the cancellation of this awarding today. Although it is my duty to give medals, I invited the President and the Interior Secretary to come over. Pero kung hindi sila (relatives) dadating, hindi namin pipilitin syempre.”

The families of Chief Insp. Max Jim Tria, PO2 Franklin Danao, and PO2 Mark Clemencio did not attend the ceremony. They, instead, sent proxies, classmates of Tria, Danao and Clemencio, to accept the awards.

Meanwhile, neither family members nor classmates accepted the awards for Senior Inspector Rennie Tayrus, SPO2 Lover Inocencio and PO3 Nicky Nacino.

As of posting, President Aquino is having a dialogue with the families of the slain Mamasapano troopers.

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