SARA PAYS TRIBUTE TO SAF 44

Says the legacy left behind by SAF 44 will not be forgotten by Filipinos and that the country is indebted to them for their sacrifice

VICE PRESIDENT and Education Secretary Sara Duterte pays tribute to the 44 fallen members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (SAF).

In a Facebook post on Thursday, January 25, 2023, Duterte stated that the legacy left behind by the SAF 44 will not be forgotten by Filipinos adding that the Philippines is indebted to these fallen heroes for their sacrifice.

She then encouraged everyone to stand united not only to pay tribute to SAF 44 but to honor the families to which they left behind.

“Let us stand united in solidarity, not only to commemorate the valor of each member of our esteemed SAF 44, but also to honor the families and loved ones they left behind. Though their victory was bittersweet, it ignited within us a flame of determination to forge more dignified paths towards sustainable peace,” Duterte said.

Duterte, who is also the co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), extends her salute not only to the fallen 44 but also to the safety and security personnel in the country.

“We shall forever draw inspiration from the sacrifices you made to safeguard the honor and liberty of our nation, shielding our fellow Filipinos from the threats and consequences of terrorism,” She said.

She then pledged to never forget their acts of bravery which is an example that each Filipino should emulate.

In 2015, a deadly firefight in Mamasapano, Maguindanao claimed the lives of 44 SAF members. They were a part of the special mission to serve an arrest warrant for Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias Marwan, the Malaysian bomber and international terrorist. But they were engaged in a deadly confrontation with some of the local armed groups, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which claimed the lives of over sixty people.