ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte awarded medals to 12 soldiers who were wounded in a clash against the Abu Sayyaf bandits last week in Sulu.
Two of the 12 soldier-awardees of the Wounded Personnel Medal (WPM) are officers and the rest are enlisted personnel, according to the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).
The awarding ceremony was held Saturday afternoon at the headquarters of Joint Task Force Sulu in Camp Teodulfo Bautista, Barangay Busbus in Jolo, Sulu.
The officer-awardees are 1Lt. Niño John Paner and 1Lt. Ian Solatre.
The enlisted personnel-awardees are: Cpl. Alan Bartolome; Cpl. Jeric Ghil Villaruz; PFC Reynan Maristela; PFC Vergel Bali; PFC Rhenievon Saliw-an; PFC Jaifiryll Tamayao; PFC Polard Banggawan; PFC Jeremy Ganagan; PFC Tonie Mar Talatayud; and, Pvt. John Paul Annang.
All the awardees belong to the Army’s 21st Infantry Battalion. They were wounded in a clash with the Abu Sayyaf bandits under sub-leader Almujer Yaddah last July 8 in Barangay Buhanginan, Patikul Sulu.
The clash, which lasted for one hour, also resulted in the death of four Abu Sayyaf bandits. The troops were on a rescue mission when the clash occurred.
The President, in his visit to the troops on Saturday in Sulu, was accompanied by Defense Sec Delfin Lorenzana; Armed Force Chief-of-Staff Gen. Eduardo Ano; and, Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda.
