MANILA, Philippines - As Filipinos prepared to remember their dead, an unidentified group left 44 small Philippine flags at the People Power Monument in Quezon City early yesterday, in memory of 44 police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos killed by Muslim rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.
Anne Levenia, caretaker of the monument, said a small group of men who declined to identify themselves left the 44 flags hoisted on wooden poles with stands representing each of the slain policemen and a black tarpaulin with photographs of the commandos.
“In memory of our deceased EDSA heroes and our new heroes Fallen SAF 44,” reads the message printed in red, white and blue ink on the tarpaulin.
Levenia said the group arrived at midnight Friday and left the flags and tarpaulin at the monument along EDSA near Camp Aguinaldo.
The flags caught the curiosity of passersby and motorists early yesterday morning.
The SAF commandos were part of a police anti-terror unit sent to Mamasapano to hunt down international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in Barangay Tukanalipao.
Marwan was killed in the operation but the 44 special police were killed during the encounter with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and private armed groups.
Malacañang officials concerned over possible derailment of peace talks with the MILF were criticized for distancing themselves from the bungled operation that led to the death of the police commandos.