US envoy cites bravery of Fallen 44

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 7): US envoy cites bravery of Fallen 44

TAGBILARAN CITY -- Visiting US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg cited over the weekend the bravery of the 44 elite troopers of the Special Action Force (SAF), who were killed during a covert operation to arrest long-wanted international terrorist leader Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias Murwan, when they clashed with a phalanx of heavily armed Muslim rebels backed by a Moro terror group in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

Goldberg made the statement during his visit to this city to attend the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the government of the City of Tagbilaran designed to create a new growth hub in Central Visayas.

Tagbilaran City was the only recipient of such USAID for the entire Central Visayas region.

Mission Director Gloria Steele signed in behalf of the USAID while Mayor John Geesnell signed for Tagbilaran City.

The MOU is designed to spur a sustained rapid economic reforms and development for the city in the years ahead through infrastructure, small and medium enterprise, education, energy, environment, health and disaster preparedness, and technical assistance in the form of training.

In expressing his grief, Goldbert sent his deep condolences to the bereaved families of the 44 SAF troopers, who were killed during a 12-hour gun battle with joint forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, who ambushed the police commandos on their way back to camp.

In an interview, Goldberg praised the 44 slain SAF troopers for their bravery in “carrying out a mission against an international terrorist,” referring to Marwan, an expert bomb-maker from Malaysia who was responsible for the deadly bombing in Bali, Indonesia more than a decade that killed 200 innocent civilians.

Marwan fled to southern Philippines after the bombing and was wanted by the United States who put a reward of USD 5 million for his capture, dead or alive.

The government claimed that Marwan was killed during the raid by SAF troopers based on the DNA result conducted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Goldberg said that the 44 SAF commandos died an honorable death.

“People should keep in mind that Marwan was an international terrorist of some standing involving the Bali bombing and was involved in many other activities here in the Philippines,” he said.

Goldberg said the Mamapasano incident was “a tragedy,” but added that the killing of Marwan was a “very successful mission and for that reason we too at the US Embassy lowered our flag also to half mast last Friday to join an international mourning.”

“We feel very close to the special operations unit (SAF). We have helped trained them, we worked with them, we know them. They are very honorable and decent people. And so we felt these very strongly as well,” he added.

Goldberg said the SAF troopers died with honor defending the interest of peace.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=733507