SAF 44 commandos to get posthumous awards

President Aquino has authorized the conferment of medals of honor on the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos of the Philippine National Police who died in battle in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, in commemorative rites on Monday marking the first anniversary of the ill-fated mission. 

In a radio interview over dzRB (Radyo ng Bayan) on Saturday, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Undersecretary Manolo Quezon III confirmed that the President has authorized the grant of the awards.

The commemorative rites will be held in Camp Crame, the general headquarters of the PNP.

Senior Inspector Gednat Tabdi and Police Officer 2 Romeo Cempron will receive the Medalya ng Kagitingan (Medal of Valor) while the 42 other commandos will be conferred the Medalya ng Kabayanihan.

The 44 SAF members were killed in Mamasapano, on Jan. 25, 2015, during a mission to capture Indonesian bomb maker Zulkifli Binhir alias Marwan and Filipino terrorist Abdul Basit Usman.

The commandos killed the Indonesian terrorist, but failed to arrest Usman, who was later killed in a clash with authorities.

The commandos were leaving the site when they encountered members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters resulting in the deaths of its 44 members.

A Senate committee investigated the case amid accusations that President Aquino should be held culpable for the deaths of the commandos under the principle of command responsibility. But the investigation eventually cleared the President of any liability.

The conferment of the posthumous awards comes as the Senate prepares for a reopening of the investigation, proposed by Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, who said he has new evidence to prove that the President was directly involved in the ill-fated operation. Enrile had said the information he has differs from the details that came out of the first Senate investigation. He said he gathered his new information from some survivors whom he talked to when he was under hospital arrest at the PNP General Hospital at Camp Crame on graft charges. PNA