All SAF 44 Deserve Medal of Valor: PRRD Approves Conferment of the Same to Remaining 42

All the members of SAF 44 deserve a Medal of Valor.

This was underscored as President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed on February 8, the approval of the conferment of the Philippine National Police Medal of Valor (Medalya ng Kagitingan) to the remaining 42 ill-fated Special Action Force (SAF) personnel, who died during the botched Mamasapano anti-terror raid in 2015.

The Medal of Valor is the highest award that can be bestowed to a member of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Called Medalya ng Kagitingan in the Filipino language, it is awarded by the President of the Philippines to police personnel for acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty.

The medal is a disc with golden sea-lion and water waves on its face. The disc is resting on a cross and crossed swords. Under Philippine Republic Act No. 9049, a Medal of Valor awardee is entitled to lifetime monthly gratuity of P20,000 that is separate and distinct from any salary or pension the awardee is receiving or will receive from the government.

The decision came in the wake of the second anniversary of the Mamasapano clash, following the promise made by the Chief Executive during the dialogue with the families of the SAF 44 personnel held in January at the Heroes Hall of Malacañan. During the dialogue, the President underscored the importance of recognizing the heroism of not only two but all of the 44 fallen policemen.

It may be recalled that only two of the 44 SAF personnel were conferred with the Medal of Valor award in 2016, while the remaining 42 were merely given the PNP Distinguished Medal (Medalya ng Kabayanihan) award.

“Bakit dalawa lang ang [Medal of] Valor? Eh! lahat naman ‘yun namatay… So I am asking [PNP Director General Ronald] Dela Rosa to study the matter very carefully and look that up… Tutal nandiyan na ‘yung records, hindi naman kailangan mag-imbestiga-imbestiga. Look at the records of the Senate and everything. And if you think as a soldier that the 44 deserves the [Medal of] Valor, then recommend it and I would give it to them. All of the soldiers, the 44,” the President assured.

Following the approval, the 42 SAF personnel award will be upgraded from the Medalya ng Kabayanihan to the Medal of Valor, which will be bestowed in recognition of their acts of conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life and limb above and beyond the call of duty as members of the Main Effort 1 (ME1), 84th Special Action Company (Seaborne), Rapid Deployment Battalion, Main Effort 2 (ME2), 55th Special Action Company, and the 5th Special Action Battalion of the PNP SAF, respectively.

The 42 SAF personnel who will receive the posthumous award were the following:

PCINSP RYAN B PABALINAS

PCINSP MAX JIM R TRIA

PCINSP JOHN GARRY A ERANA

PCINSP CYRUS P ANNIBAN

PSINSP JOEY S GAMUTAN

PSINSP RENNIE LUMASAG TAYRUS

SPO2 LOVER LADAO INOCENCIO

SPO1 RODRIGO FERNANDEZ ACOB, JR.

SPO1 VIRGEL SERION VILLANUEVA

SPO1 NOEL ONANGEY GOLOCAN

SPO1 ANDRES V DUQUE, JR.

SPO1 JUNREL N KIBETE

SPO1 VICTORIANO N ACAIN, JR.

SPO1 ROBERT D ALLAGA

SPO1 JEDZ-IN A ASJALI

SPO1 JOHN LLOYD R SUMBILLA

PO3 AMMAN M ESMULA

PO3 ROMEO V SENIN II

PO3 CHUM G AGABON

PO3 GLENN B BEDUA

PO3 RICHELLE S BALUGA

PO3 NOEL N BALACA JR

PO3 JOEL B DULNUAN

PO3 WALNER F DANAO

PO3 GODOFREDO B CABANLET

PO3 FRANKLIN C DANAO

PO3 JERRY D KAYOB

PO3 NOBLE S KIANGAN

PO3 EPHRAIM G MEJIA

PO3 OMAR A NACIONALES

PO3 RODEL E RAMACULA

PO3 ROGER CORDERO CORDERO

PO3 PETERSON INDONGSAN CARAP

PO3 NICKY DE CASTRO NACINO, JR.

PO2 RUSSEL B BILOG

PO2 WINDEL L CANDANO

PO2 LORETO G CAPINDING II

PO2 GRINGO C CAYANG-O

PO2 MARK LORY O CLEMENCIO

PO2 JOSEPH G SAGONOY

PO2 OLIEBETH L VIERNES

PO2 ANGEL CHOCOWEN KODIAMAT

These awardees now join the ranks of the two SAF personnel who were conferred with the award last year, Senior Insp. Gednat Tabdi and Police Officer 2 Romeo Cempron. (Maro-Content)