Four troopers, wounded in various encounters with the New
People's Army (NPA) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), were
decorated for their heroism and bravery Tuesday.
Their Wounded Personnel Medals were personally given to them
by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Gregorio Pio
Catapang during short ceremonies at the AFP
Medical Center
in V. Luna, Quezon City
Catapang also assured two of the awardees, Staff Sgt. Pio
Himaldong and Pfc. Ramil Akiatan of their promotion for surviving separate
attacks from NPAs and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
The Wounded Personnel Medal is awarded to members and
civilians employed by the AFP who are injured or killed in combat with the
enemy.
Its equivalent is the Purple Heart Award of the US Armed
Forces.
Among those who received the award was 2nd Lt. Eljuhn Aboc,
26, from Cagayan De Oro City.
He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of
2014.
Aboc was wounded on his right arm during an encounter with
an estimated 10 NPA fighters during an encounter in Barangay Limos, Pinukpuk,
Kalinga last Feb. 28.
He was leading his squad in response to an ambush conducted
by the same group of NPAs against three other soldiers earlier in an adjacent
barangay.
Aboc and his squad were tasked in Kalinga to conduct
Bayanihan projects with the local government units.
While Staff Sgt. Marlon Sanico, 48, Zamboanga Del Sur, was
wounded by shrapnel on his limbs and shoulder when under attack from more or
less 50 BIFFs in barangay Katibpuan, Talayan, Maguindanao last March 7.
He was one of the soldiers deployed for the law enforcement
operations against the BIFF with the Philippine National Police.
“We were just one kilometer away from the enemies in a
ditch. They were hiding in trenches too,” Sanico said.
He saw two of his comrades shot by enemy snipers on the head
and the jaw while others fell wounded beside him.
Despite his wounds, Sanico turned back to pick up a wounded
comrade while bullets rained around him.
Pfc. Rogelio Labi, 26, from North
Cotabato , was wounded on both legs by shrapnel and bullets while
his platoon was reinforcing Sanico’s unit in the same encounter with BIFF.
“We were looking to save the wounded and ended up closer to
the enemy,” he said.
They were blinded by the darkness and could not determine
the location of the enemy as they were pinned down by heavy BIFF machine fire
which incidentally killed one of his companions.
“Nobody wins in wars, both sides lose,” he said.
Arturo Ancheta, brother of Pfc. Lester King Ancheta, beamed
with pride but there were tears in his eyes for his younger brother.
Ancheta, 23, was among the five wounded in an encounter with
NPAs in Barangay Legleg, Quirino, Ilocos Sur last Feb. 26. Four men from from
his unit were killed in battle.
He sustained shots on various parts of the body including a
shot from an AK-47 automatic rifle which entered his upper chest then existed
through his lower back.
They were conducting clearing operations with PNP against
NPA when they were ambushed by more or less 10 NPAs.
Akiatan, 35, and a member of the 32nd Infantry Battalion,
said he was wounded in the head after being hit by shrapnel from an exploding
anti-vehicle landmine.
He said that his head wound received 12 stitches while his
left shoulder was dislocated.
A shrapnel is still in his arm to be removed by surgery
soon.
Akiatan and his unit were returning to their camp from
inventorying firearms from Alpha Company in Maguindanao when they were
landmined while on a military truck by ASG.
They encountered 30 ASGs who also fired at them even as they
were thrown in different directions by the bomb.
The ASG were under the command of Cmdr. Sahiron.
He said three soldiers from his unit were killed while six
were wounded.(
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=747391
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.