Mandaluyong to honor fallen SAF men, sets P1-M total cash aid to families

MANILA, Philippines–The Mandaluyong City government will be handing out a total of over P1 million in cash assistance to the families left behind by the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos killed in combat and their 14 comrades injured last week in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province.

Mandaluyong public information chief Jimmy Isidro on Tuesday said Councilor Charisse Abalos was finalizing the draft resolution that would give cash assistance of P20,000 each to the families of the fallen commandos and P10,000 to the injured members of the elite police team.

On January 25, 44 US-trained police commandos were massacred in Tukanalipao town, Mamasapano, in a botched operation to arrest two top international terrorists—Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and Filipino Basit Usman.

Another 14 commandos were injured when they were attacked by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Public outrage grew over the days following the bloody clash and imperiled peace talks with the MILF. Apart from the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines investigations, the two houses of Congress pushed on Monday for the establishment of a truth commission to find out what really happened and who’s responsible for the events on that fateful day.

Isidro said that Mayor Benhur Abalos would be giving out the financial assistance because he would like “to honor their heroism.”

Once approved by the city council next week, he said that the assistance, which would come from Abalos’ social fund, would be delivered to the families of the fallen troops and to the injured officers.

To speed up the delivery of the assistance, Isidro said that they would be coordinating with the Philippine National Police.

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