Junior officer holds line in Sulu clash despite wound, appalling odds

From InterAksyon (Nov 16): Junior officer holds line in Sulu clash despite wound, appalling odds

Despite being wounded the third time in his seven-year military career, 1st Lt. Michael "Mike" Asistores, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 2007, did not flinch even one bit and continued fighting during the desperate clash with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in Talipao, Sulu Friday.

His third battle wound took place two hours in desperate fight with the bandits.

Asistores was first wounded in an encounter with New People's Army rebels in Lingig, Surigao Del Sur in 2008.

He got his second combat wound in a three-hour encounter with Abu Sayyaf bandits in Al-Barka, Basilan in 2011.

Asistores, 30, said that they started engaging the ASG brigands around 2 p.m. As of this posting, the soldier is a combat leader of the 1st Scout Ranger Company.

He said that at about noontime on Friday, his soldiers crawled stealthily and came as close as 20 meters from the enemy positions in their forest lair at the foot of Mount Tunggul and Bud Bunga, which is located at the boundary of Talipao and Patikul.

"It was my recon elements, led by Lt. Dante "Esprite" Espiritu, who spotted the bandits in a makeshift hut. He radioed to me that they will initiate contact as one of the bandits unknowingly approached their hiding positions in order to relieve himself," Asistores recounted.

He also said that Espiritu could not wait for him and his group to link up as the bandits would surely detect them infiltrating.

At this point, Espiritu and his men opened fire, not knowing that around 300 ASG brigands were all holding positions in the terrain above them.

The bandits were led by ASG leader Radulan Sahiron a.k.a "Commander Putol", Hairullah Asbang, Jurim Hussein, Hatib Sawadjaan and Juli Ekit.

Minutes later, Espiritu was forced to call for reinforcements as two of his men were downed by ASG fire.

"I could hear Esprite's voice over the radio amidst the heavy volumes of fire from various directions. They were almost surrounded by the enemy," Asistores said.

At this time, he added that he and his men were only about a hundred meters in their designated rally point.

Having experienced the "pintakasi" (attack from all directions) tactics used by the ASG in Basilan, Asistores promptly assembled a platoon to help his heavily engaged comrades.

While approaching the encounter site about 20 minutes later, Asistores and his men spotted the bandits who attempted to outflank the position of Espiritu. They were about 100 meters apart.

"The bandits wanted to annihilate the platoon of 'Esprite' by attempting to surround them, so I positioned my platoon about 50 meters behind of the bandits to join the fight," he said.

Asistores said that he was surprised upon seeing the bandits assaulting his position despite being raked with gun fire.

"The young-looking bandits were very daring and unmindful of our fires. They kept running towards our position despite being hit repeatedly. They were very ferocious and daring," he said.

Finding himself being slowly overwhelmed by the enemy, Asistores called for more support from his battalion commander, Lt Col Eugene Boquio.

He also dispatched soldiers to collect the casualties from Espiritu's.

Seeing the dead and wounded soldiers around him, Asistores pressed the fight by rallying the remaining soldiers to hold their line to provide support as the casualties are being evacuated.

After two hours of exchanging gunfire with the bandits, Asistores was hit by a shrapnel but he maintained his composure to inspire his men.

"One of my team leaders, Sgt. Kitong, came to my side and helped me control our remaining troops. He was very concerned when he saw that I was already bloodied," said Asistores.

He also said that he was lucky to have brave NCO (non commissioned officer) leaders in his company.

"I credit my NCOs for keeping the integrity of my unit. Aside from Sgt Kitong, my platoon sergeant, SSgt Tumala, was among those who exhibited conspicuous courage by running from one team's position to another to provide leadership amidst the volley of fires," he said.

Kitong was among the 28 soldiers who were wounded during the 5-hour long firefight.

He sustained a gunshot wound on his abdomen when he was trying to carry one of the critically-wounded team member.

Kitong was first wounded as a private of the 10th Scout Ranger Company when he figured in a six-hour firefight against the Abu Sayyaf in Balatanay, Basilan in October 2001.

He was awarded his first Gold Cross Medal, the third highest combat medal for grabbing an M60 machinegun from the Abu Sayyaf in that encounter.

Meanwhile, Asistores said that the ASG "borrowed" their courage from the marijuana leaves that they smoked before the firefight. His men recovered some of the left-over of smoked marijuana in the encounter site.

"That solved the puzzle about their bravery in combat. They are drug-crazed fighters," he said.

Asistores said that he considers all five men who paid the ultimate sacrifice as his personal heroes.

"They have shown us that the true spirit of the Scout Rangers. Walang iwanan. (No one is left behind)They died fighting for the country with their combat boots on their feet," Asistores said.

He also said that he and his men who are now recuperating in the military hospital in Zamboanga, are all willing to come back to Sulu and rejoin their beloved unit.

"I will gladly go back and be with my men in the frontlines. We must crush the Abu Sayyaf and end its kidnapping business," Aristores said.

Col. Allan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, is confident that the military can gradually decimate the Abu Sayyaf ranks.

He also said that the Abu Sayyaf has nowhere to hide if the civilians will cooperate with the military in identifying them and pinpointing their jungle hideouts.

Latest information released by the military placed the death toll at 15, with five from the government side and 10 for the ASG with 28 soldiers and at least 30 from the bandits wounded.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/99293/junior-officer-holds-line-in-sulu-clash-despite-wound-appalling-odds