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Tag: Philippine Marines

Prayers for Marawi as we celebrate 119th Independence Day

The announcement of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año that by today, as we celebrate our country’s 119th anniversary of independence, the Philippine flag will be flying in Marawi City, tells us of the challenges in keeping our country safe while maintaining a vibrant democracy. That a part of our country is not in the control of government shows how serious the challenges are.

“The chief of staff made an announcement hoping that by Monday, we can freely wave our flags in every corner of Marawi and we are working feverishly to do that, to ensure we are able to do to a big extent what was announced by the chief of staff,” Armed Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in a Malacañang briefing last Friday.

Next day, we got the devastating report that 13 Marines were killed in action and 40 other soldiers were wounded in a 14-hour ferocious battle with Islamic militants to liberate the city.

Failure of intelligence

Thanks to Inquirer for this photo.
Thanks to Inquirer for this photo.

We condole with the family of the seven Marines who were killed in Patikul, Sulu last Saturday and those of the eight policemen who were killed by a landmine allegedly planted by the New People’s Army in Allacapan, Cagayan Monday.

The police officers killed were Police Officers 2 Dexter Cubilla, Angelbert Mateo, Elmark Rodney Pinated, Jonnel Bowat and Ronald Castulo, Police Officers 1 Erick Brioso and Jerome Sanchez and PO3 Vladimir Tabarejo.

In the Patikul incident, the fatalities were Second Lieutenant Alfredo Lorin VI, Private First Class Jay Alasian, Private First Class Jayson Durante, Private First Class Andres Bogwana, Private First Class Rene Gare, Private First Class Roxan Pizarro, and Private First Class Dominador Sabejon, Jr.