HOME ARE THE HEROES | Remains of 42 SAF personnel arrive in Manila

From InterAksyon (Jan 29): HOME ARE THE HEROES | Remains of 42 SAF personnel arrive in Manila



Members of the police Special Action Force stand to attention by the caskets bearing the remains of their comrades slain in Mamasapano Maguindanao during arrival honors at Villamor Airbase. (photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com)

(UPDATE 5 - 2:33 p.m.) The bodies of 42 of the policemen slain in clashes with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, Maguindanao have arrived in Manila.

After the arrival ceremonies at Villamor Aitbase, where they were airlifted by three C-130s from Cotabato airport, the caskets bearing the slain Special Action Force policemen were taken in a convoy of hearses to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, where they will lie in state.

A long, slow procession of coffins draped in the national colors poured out of the military planes, borne by grim-looking SAF personnel marching to muted drums.



This is the Philippine Air Forces (PAF) drone view of the arrival ceremony by PNP at Villamor Air Base grandstand in honor of the 42 fallen heroes of PNP-SAF. Three C-130s ferried the bodies from Cotabato and touched down at Villamor Air Base by sequence at 9:38 am, 9:46 am and 9:58 am, taxied to CJVAB Base Operations and simultaneously shut down their engines at 10:30 am. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Air Force)

Police top brass, led by Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and the acting Philippine National Police chief -Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina - along with newly installed SAF commander Chief Superintendent Noli Taliño, who replaced the sacked Director Getulio Napeñas, led the the arrival ceremonies for the slain policemen at the airbase.

They were also joined by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Malacanang spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

President Benigno Aquino III, the commander-in-chief, was in Laguna for the opening of an automobile plant.

Also at the airbase, although they were not part of the welcome ceremony, were Vice President Jejomar Binay, former President Fidel Ramos, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon.

The atmosphered at Villamor was somber and TV footage showed some police officers at the grandstand wiping their eyes.

Relatives wept and hugged each other at the airbase as a priest sprinkled holy water on the caskets, which were laid in front of a large national flag at half-mast.

Eaarlier Thursday morning, the slain policemen were flown out of Cotabato past 8 a.m. following an emotional sendoff from the military, police and local government officials.

Two of the fatalities were earlier flown to Zamboanga City.

Reacting to Aquino’s absence at the arrival of the slain policemen’s remains, Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon said, "This speaks volumes of the President's lack of basic respect for his servicemen."

"His choice to instead head to the opening of a car factory in Sta. Rosa shows how little he cares for his uniformed personnel, who died in an encounter that he himself green-lighted," Ridon said.

Aquino has denied giving the order to mount the operation.

"Aquino's cold, unfeeling heart cannot even sympathize briefly with the families of the fallen SAF officers. It is truly despicable, especially for the commander-in-chief," Ridon added.

He said Aquino’s absence at Villamor would heighten "people's disgust in this spineless leader who let his own men go to battle for the sake of his own vanity, only to disown the whole plan and deny accountability in the end."

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/103994/home-are-the-heroes--remains-of-42-saf-personnel-arrive-in-manila