By
Teofilo P. Garcia
CAMP
NAVARRO, Zamboanga City, July 9 (PNA) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) on Saturday awarded medals to the five soldiers who were wounded in the
latest clash with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) brigands in the province of Sulu.
Gen.
Ricardo Visaya, AFP chief-of-staff, personally pinned the medals to the wounded
soldiers who were admitted at Camp Navarro General Hospital in this city.
Lt.
Gen. Mayoralgo Dela Cruz, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, assisted
Visaya in the awarding of medals to the recipient-soldiers.
Awarded
the Wounded Personnel Medal (WPM) were Cpl. Ian Dexter Gavina; Cpl. Rambo
Balnawi; PFC Radel Gumban; PFC Christian Naganag; and, PFC Bernie Joe Nagoy.
They
were wounded in an intense fighting against 150 ASG brigands, led by ASG senior
leader Radulan Sahiron and sub-leader Hadjan Sawajaan on Thursday in Patikul,
Sulu.
Intelligence
report showed that nine Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed while 13 wounded when
the troops pounded them with artillery.
Visaya
visited Westmincom to get first hand information of the ongoing focus military
operations against the ASG brigands in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan.
“I am
here now to see how Westmincom implemented our plans (against the ASG),” Visaya
said.
He
said the troops were directed to ensure the safety of the hostages as they were
ordered to continuously pursue the ASG brigands.
The
ASG brigands are still holding captives nine foreigners and three Filipinos in
the province of Sulu.
The
foreigners included a Dutchman birdwatcher, a Norwegian and seven Indonesian
sailors.
Visaya
said the focus military operations against the ASG brigands had no time frame.
(PNA)
RMA/TPGJR
