‘Daddy came back home a hero’

SURIGAO CITY – May 23 is a Tuesday that nobody will soon forget.

Houses were being razed down by fire and people were running for their lives. Some unfortunate souls badly wanted to escape but were trapped. From nearby, there’s a deafening burst of gunfire followed by shrieks of pain. Everyone was yelling for help, children were crying. Blood became paint to the pavement’s canvass.

In short, the ISIS-inspired Maute Group’s occupation of the Islamic City of Marawi was hell on earth, the kind that only the bravest of men would dare enter as there’s no guarantee of getting out alive.

Among the brave was Police Senior Inspector Freddie Solar, 33, a father of two little girls. He sacrificed his life for the protection of Marawi during the terrorists’ siege.

Chief Supt. Rolando Felix, regional director of Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) told The Manila Bulletin that the late Senior Inspector Solar was an asset to the organization he worked for. Felix said the PNP had lost a devoted young police officer.

Loving husband, dad But more than that, Solar was a loving husband and father who rarely saw his children, Jadie and Cassandra, because of his duty. The kids are six and seven years old, respectively.

His wife, 29-year-old Manilyn Dela Cruz Solar, said her children would always ask their daddy on the phone when he would come home to see them.

“Daddy, when will you be coming home?” were Jadie and Cassandra usual words to her husband, Manilyn said. She said Solar would always promise to do so, and soon.

Now, she is forced to bear the pain of losing the person she thought he would grow old with.

“Solar dreamt of living in a place where there’s peace. He dreamt of being a successful figure someday. He dreams of what everybody dreams of… A happy life with a happy family,” the wife said.

“His dream is to also give a good and bright future to his children,” added the tear-eyed Manilyn, who must now find a job in order to ensure her family’s survival.

‘Mindanao is safe’ To fulfill his calling, Senior Inspector Solar took his field training program in Caraga region after he graduated as part of the Philippine National Police Academy’s (PNPA) ‘Sansinirangan’ Class of 2007. When he formally joined the police force, he was sent to Mindanao as his first assignment. Solar’s family had their concerns. “We pleaded for him to come back to Baguio again and again. We had asked him to apply for reassignment anywhere in the Philippines except Mindanao,” Susan Urbano-Solar, the police officer’s elder sister said.

However, his dedication drove him to stay put, even assuring his family that Mindanao is safe, Susan added.

It was in 2007 when Solar met Manilyn. They would tie the knot just a year later. Blessed with two charming daughters, life was perfect for the family for as long as they were complete.

“Daddy, come back home!” Manilyn recalled her kids telling her spouse.

Because of his work, Solar missed a lot of special occasions with his family – birthdays, anniversaries and even Christmases. He wasn’t even around when Cassandra called him “daddy” for the first time, the wife said.

“Freddie would always say ‘yes’ to her children and that he will come home soon…very soon,” Manilyn said. Daddy came home, but... And then the Maute rebels changed everything for the family. Manilyn wasn’t able to utter a single word after hearing about her husband’s death. Tears flowed uncontrollably as her heart broke in real time. She felt loneliness as she knew Solar wasn’t coming back anymore.

She also couldn’t help but remember Solar’s constant promise to his daughters.

“You have promised to your daughters you would come home! How would I be able to find the courage to tell them that you’re totally gone and that you are no longer coming home?” she recounted telling herself.

On a sunny afternoon last June 5 – Solar did come back to his family in Barangay Mabua in Surigao City –Manilyn’s hometown.

He looked so handsome in his military white duck and shiny black shoes, Manilyn said. His curly hair was neatly brushed to one side. On display were all the medals he has received from the police service.

Solar looked very peaceful in his wooden white casket, which his youngest child Jadie found too irresistible not to inspect.

“Daddy, you did came home!” the sixyear-old exclaimed, her chubby cheeks wet with tears.

Manilyn said that everyone who witnessed Jadie’s reaction cannot help but shed tears too and pray for the child.

Cassandra, in a trembling voice, then said of the man in the long white box: “You made your promise daddy…you didn’t just came home as a father, but you came home as our hero!”

Wife’s promise

Now, in front of her lifeless beloved, it was Manilyn’s turn to make a promise.

“I will take good care of our children. I will raise them well. I promise to send them to school,” she told Solar on the day of the burial.

“He might be gone but he will always be in our hearts and our love will always be there no matter what. And wherever he may be right now, I just hope he is happy now in the hands of God,” the sobbing mother said.

Manilyn gave this message to other fathers-in-uniform in the PNP like Solar, as they are undoubtedly many.

“To all police officers who may not be recognized and appreciated for the services you give to the public, Happy Father’s Day to all of you.

“I hope that you will continue your duty to protect the lives of those you swore to serve. May you be inspired by the courage and bravery that my husband showed to the entire world,” she said.