Military officers who fought Sayyaf honored today

MANILA, Philippines - Two junior military officers and an Army corporal who killed top Abu Sayyaf commanders will be honored today during the 77th Armed Forces founding anniversary.

Air Force pilot 1Lt. Carlo Valdez will receive the Gold Cross Medal for dropping the bomb that killed Abu Sayyaf commander Gumbahali Jumdail alias Dr. Abu and several other terrorists in Sulu.

Marine 2Lt. Ferdinand Divina will be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Star for leading the charge that killed Al Bader Parad, another Abu Sayyaf commander in Sulu.

Army Cpl. Christopher Cabrito is the Gold Cross medal awardee for gallantry in action for killing six Abu Sayyaf terrorists.

President Aquino will pin the medals on the three.

Last Feb. 2, Valdez flew one of two bombers sent out against the Abu Sayyaf band of Abu and Jemaah Islamiyah bombers Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, a Malaysian, and Muhamda Ali alias Muawiya, a Singaporean, in Sulu.

Flying above his objective, Valdez precisely dropped the bombs on the Abu Sayyaf lair at Sitio Lanao Bato, Barangay Lanao Dakula in Parang town at about 2 a.m.

The explosion also killed Abu’s son Teng and his cousin HJ Tati.

Initial reports said Marwan and Muawiya were also killed in the explosion.

Divina  commanded the Marine Special Operations Platoon that raided the Abu Sayyaf lair in Barangay Karawan, Maimbung  in Sulu on Feb. 2, 2010.

Parad, who had a $5-million bounty on his head, was killed in the raid.

He was tagged as the brains behind the series of high-profile kidnappings in and outside Sulu, including the kidnapping of three International Red Cross workers.

“For acts of conspicuous courage and gallantry in the face of 40 heavily armed Abu Sayyaf, resulting to six enemy fatalities to include their fallen leader Abdul Parad, the Distinquished Conduct Star is Awarded to 2Lt. Ferdinand Divina, (Marines),” reads the  citation.