MAN OF THE HOUR
– Vice President Jejomar Binay executes a salute as he troops the line during the 35th Grand Alumni Homecoming of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) at Camp Mariano Castaneda in SIlang, Cavite where he was guest of honor and speaker yesterday. Top photo shows Roselle Nacino pointing out her late husband, PNP-Special Action Force sniper PO2 Nicky Nacino (garbed in brown ghillie camouflage), to their son when they visited the mural of the SAF 44 heroes at the camp’s lobby.
Vice President Jejomar C. Binay yesterday vowed justice for the 44 police commandos killed in an encounter with Muslim rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last January 25.
Binay attended the Philippine National Police Academy’s ( PNPA) 35th Grand Alumni Homecoming in Cavite as its guest of honor and speaker even though his son, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, is fighting a suspension order from the Office of the Ombudsman.
In his speech, Binay told PNPA students and alumni that he will do everything in his power to make sure that justice will be served to the families of the 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) who were killed during a clash with Muslim rebels after they were able to neutralize Zulkilfi bin Hir alias Marwan, a Malaysian bomb expert wanted in the United States.
Six of the 44 slain police commandos graduated from the PNPA.
“Sa harap ninyo at sa araw na ito ay ibibigay ko ang aking salita na saan man tayo makarating at sa dulo ng lahat ng aking kakayahan ay ipagkakaloob natin ang katarungan para sa apatnapu’t apat na bayaning SAF commandos (On this day, I’m giving you my word that wherever I will end up, I will do everything I can to serve justice for our 44 SAF commando heroes),” Binay said.
Despite the predicaments of his son, whom the Vice President claimed is facing “political harassment,” Binay said he chose attend the PNPA homecoming so he could honor members of the police force.
The Vice President noted that he also did the same when he went to Villamor Air Base in Pasay to attend the arrival honors for the bodies of slain members of the PNP-SAF last Jan. 29 even though his son was being taken to the Senate on contempt charges.
The Vice President, however, said that he has yet to read the findings of the PNP Board of Inquiry on the Mamasapano encounter which also claimed the lives of 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and five civilians.
Police commandos went to Mamasapano town to arrest Marwan and Abdul Basit Usman, a suspected local bomb expert, in the remote village of Tukanalipao in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, when they clashed with members of the MILF, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and private armed groups.
The police commandos were able to neutralize Marwan but were caught in an encounter with the Muslim rebels.
The Vice President also took the opportunity to remind students and alumni of the PNPA to honor the memory of the Fallen 44 “by maintaining professionalism and putting service above all.”
Whatever criticisms or flaws policemen had before were washed away by the heroism shown by the fallen police commandos, he noted.
“Huwag sana ninyong pababayaan na ang iginawad na magandang imahe ng pulis na binuwisan ng luha at dugo ay masayang lamang (Don’t let the good image of policemen brought about by their heroism go to waste),” he said.
Binay also said that he understands the plight of the police and that he is one with them in calling for added benefits for members of the police force.
As the government’s housing czar, the Vice President said that he pushed for programs where members of the police can benefit from.