Fund drive for Marawi heroes
A region in mourning has channeled energies to help families of fallen Marawi Cordillerans.
Alexander Bangsoy has once again led a donation drive for kailian’s killed in action in the long drawn out battle between the government and terrorists in Marawi city.
Bangsoy said “The Cordillera Binnadang Fund Drive for Cordi Marawi hero’s bank account with is now open for donations,” the BPI savings account under the names Alexander Bangsoy, Saturnino Galino, William Guzman and Jones Padeo under Account # 8123-0427-01 with swift code BOPIPHMM .
Bangsoy with a group of pastors and private citizens have
banded to raise funds for highland cops and soldiers in the Marawi siege. The initial count of the group has seven Cordillerans killed in action at the battlefields “Records are hard to come by at the moment, we hope that there will be no more reported deaths.
Bangsoy in his social media account is also running stories of our fallen Cordilleran Marawi heroes “As we are working on the Cordilleran Binnadang Fund Drive for Cordi Marawi heroes to honor their sacrifices. It is a simple gesture to help their families for our heroes gave their all so our own kids and families will be protected and be at peace.”
Below are some of the collected stories of highland fighters
THE STORY OF POLICE SENIOR INSPECTOR FREDDIE MANUEL SOLAR
“TRABAHO ko eto.” Surrounded by the Maute group at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center where he brought his wife for check up, family accounts say Baguio boy Police Senior Inspector Freddie Manuel Solar,32, chose to go out of the hospital and bravely faced the terrorists instead, saying “trabaho ko eto”.
He could have cowardly escaped because he and his lone police man companion were outnumbered but he chose not to. A Baguio boy alumni of the Baguio City National High School(BCNHS) before he finished at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), he is no stranger to sacrifice and hardship.
His sister Susan Solar-Urbano in a letter she wrote said they grew up asking neighbors for sayote and camote tops , begged at the store to lend them rice so they could cook something since their father, a police man could hardly make ends meet.
Unfortunately, Solar’s family had to endure the grief of lost loved ones twice. Their father’s dead body was found in Ampucao,Itogon in 2003 after he arrested a drug pusher. Sadly, the drug pusher is out of jail.Their father’s murder remains unsolved, Susan said.
Solar is survived by his young wife and two
THE STORY OF PO1 MOISES KIMAYONG
“KASLA awan sakak, jak ammo ar-aramidek,” said Felisa Kimayong, mother of Cordilleran and Marawi hero PO1 Moises Kimayong upon receiving a phone call informing her of her 6th born’s death in Marawi city’s battlefield. The long drawn battle between government troops and the ISISinfluenced Maute group saw Moises running inside a building to bring out a wounded team mate, his mother said. But gunshots pierced through him while carrying his team mate’s body out. Kimayong comes from Lagawe, Ifugao and he is part of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) team that saw action in the Marawi battle against terrorists.
Earlier, he told his family and girlfriend he will come home from Marawi, get a bank loan so he could build a house and marry. “Ngem saan met piman nga natungpal ti plano na”, his mother said
Bangsoy said there are more heartbreaking stories to be posted in the coming days to help drum up awareness for the donation drive as well as to commemorate the lives of the fallen.
Bangsoy said the donation drive is for “Helping the widows and families of our young soldiers who gave their lives so our own kids and families can live in peace and freedom.”
Initial reports to SunStar Baguio of the death of Police Officer 2 (PO2) Daniel Dengwa from Bauko, Mountain Province came as sad news a week ago. He was assigned with the Special Action Force embedded with the Scout Rangers and was part of the force which successfully killed terrorist leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute in Marawi City.
As of press time there are no updates on the final count of fallen soldiers and police in the Marawi siege as well as news on arrival of bodies of the fallen for final rites and honors.
The stories of the Marawi heroes were compiled by Annabelle Bangsoy, as told to her by next of kin.