Aquino apologizes to slain soldiers’ kin
ZAMBOANGA CITY: President Benigno Aquino 3rd visited the wake of one of the 18 soldiers killed by Abu Sayyaf rebels on Wednesday and expressed his sympathies to the families of the other last week.
Aquino condoled with the family of Cpl. Rodelio Bangcarin, 40.
A member of the Army, Bangcarin left behind his wife and two children aged
12 and three. Bangcarin has served the military for 16 years.
Security was tight during Aquino’s visit here and journalists were not allowed to interview the President.
He President, accompanied by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, awarded medals to the soldiers when he checked on the condition of 42 of the 56 injured soldiers confined at the Camp Navarro General Hospital in the city. He later met with some of the soldiers’ families at the Edwin Andrews Airbase.
Families of the slain soldiers were told not to talk to journalists.
But a relative of one of the fallen troops told reporters that Aquino expressed his apologies for what happened in Basilan.
“He said sorry,” said Rosalinda Dominguez, mother- in- law of slain Private First Class Dorren Aspurias from Baliaguian, Zamboanga del Norte.
Dominguez said she accepted the President’s “sincere apology.”
“Hindik amiga lit.Tulun gan ny alan gang pa mil yang mg a na sawi pa raw ala si lang problem a. Tang gap nam anna minang nangyari [ We’re not angry. He should help the families of the slain soldiers. We have accepted the tragedy],” she said.
Defense spokesman Peter Galvez said Aquino cited the gallantry of the slain soldiers and vowed an investigation of the incident.
“The President opened and ended the dialogue with an expression of sympathy for the families’ loss, saying he felt for them,” Galvez said.
“The President told the families that we are facing a war, our soldiers enemies of the country, our soldiers are those in the frontlines in securing peace in our land,” he added.
Galvez said Aquino told the families that operations against the Abu Sayyaf are continuing.
“Ma tag al nang problem a ito. Mara minangn ape rw is yongb uhay. G us tok on ang tap us in it o [This has gone on long enough. Many lives have been lost. I want to end this],” the Defense spokesman quoted Aquino, who left without giving a statement.
Major General Gerardi Barrientos Jr., commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said 28 Abu pursuit operations since Saturday.
Barrientos added that the President assured families of the wounded soldiers that they will
He said each family will get at least P660,000. This includes President, remuneration cash of P 180,000, P 50,000 from the Mu P100,000 from the Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative for members and burial expenses of P80,000.
More than 50 soldiers were the Abu Sayyaf in Tipo-Tipo town where the military killed Moroccan bomb expert Mohammad Khattab and Ubaida Isnilon, son of rebel leader Isnilon Hapilon.