392 SAF officers in BIFF clash all accounted for – DILG

MANILA, Philippines - The 392 members of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) who figured in clashes with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Sunday are all accounted for – including those who were killed and wounded, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday.

“Of the 392 operatives of SAF, 44 policemen were killed in action and 12 others were wounded. They are all accounted for, together with the 336 other members of the group. We have their names,” Roxas said during a press briefing at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters.

Roxas said the cadavers of the victims were taken to Camp Awang in Cotabato City.

The DILG chief, concurrent chairman of the National Police Commission, assured the families of the victims that the financial assistance due them will be released immediately.

Rolly Purugganan, PNP director for comptrollership, has been designated to coordinate with the victims’ kin.

PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina said the policemen will be given spot promotions in recognition of their ultimate sacrifice, and will receive a medal equivalent to the military’s Gold Cross medal.

Cordillera cops among fatalities

Policemen from the Cordillera region were among the 44 lawmen killed in Maguindanao, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat said yesterday.

“Cordillerans thousands of miles away died for the country. They paid the ultimate sacrifice to maintain peace and order,” he said.

He said he knows the dead lawmen and their families and that his first reaction was to doubt the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – who later joined the BIFF – and to call for a strong military response.

“But then I remembered my brother, Capt. Winston Baguilat, who died in 1998 in the fields of Basilan, killed probably by a Muslim insurgent’s bullet. I felt grief. But I told myself if I could make a difference someday, I would rather take the tougher road to lasting peace than a knee jerk call for total war,” he said.

He added that his belief in peace was why he strongly supports the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

He pointed out that the mood among many members of the House of Representatives “had dramatically turned toward pessimism following the massacre, but the peace process should continue despite the considerable odds.”

He called for swift justice for those responsible for the incident.

“This should not only be on the government side, but also with the MILF. If the MILF truly wants to have the BBL pass in Congress, then it should show its sincerity by policing its ranks and more importantly by helping hunt down the extremists,” he said.

The Armed Forces also remains hopeful that the incident will not affect the peace process in Mindanao.

Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, chief of the AFP public affairs office, yesterday said instead of being viewed as a major stumbling block, last Sunday’s incident should instead be seen as a reason to push forward the peace process.

Meanwhile, Tomas Rentoy III, chairman of the PNP Academy Alumni Association Inc., said the group will provide P100,000 for each of the SAF victims and hospitalization and financial support to the survivors.

“We also call on the administration to allocate adequate resources to the PNP-SAF in order to enhance its air and marine support capability to enable it to suppress organized criminal elements,” he said.

Vice President Jejomar Binay also conveyed yesterday his sympathies to the families of the fallen SAF members.

Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman for media affairs, said six of the fatalities were fraternity brothers of the Vice President in Alpha Phi Omega and their deaths are a deep personal loss to him.

No action yet

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has withheld action on the killing of the SAF members.

Secretary Leila de Lima said there would be no immediate probe by the National Bureau of Investigation or filing of criminal charges.– With Helen Flores, Edu Punay, Jess Diaz, Raymund Catindig, Sheila Crisostomo, Jaime Laude