Arroyo honors troops, cops in Maguindanao crisis

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday awarded police and military officers and personnel responsible for the successful implementation of martial law in Maguindanao province last month. The imposition of martial rule had led to the arrest of members of the powerful Ampatuan clan who are blamed for the grisly Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province, and the seizure of firearms and ammunition allegedly belonging to them. Leading the awardees was Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer who, as chief of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), was the chief implementor of the military rule in Maguindanao from Dec. 4 to 14. He was conferred with the Philippine Legion of Honor with the degree of an officer. The same honor was also given to Police Director Felizardo Serapio, the national police’s director for integrated police operations in Western Mindanao, for his “commendable and invaluable" service rendered in the aftermath of the massacre. Conferred with the Outstanding Achievement Medal were military officers Col. Leo Cresente Ferrer, commander of the 601st Brigade; and Lt. Cols. Edgardo de Leon, Rolando Nerona and Joel Paloma, commanders of the 73rd, 64th and 46th infantry battalions, respectively. Promoted to the higher rank of sergeant were corporals Arnold Jaunites of the Army’s Task Force Tugis, and Walter Lorenzo of the 6th Military Intelligence Battalion. Promoted to corporals were privates first class Mohammad-Al Jumaidi and Abdulkarim Arik, both of the 33rd IB; and Marianito Colong of the 73rd IB. Also promoted were Airman second class Al Zahles Ahmad of the Tactical Operations Group –XII and Radioman Chief Restituto Palencia of the Naval Task Group Polloc. Ahmad will now be airman first class and Palencia Senior Chief Petty Officer. In the police force, the awardees were: Police Director Raul Castañeda, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG); Chief Superintendent Felicisimo Khu Jr., deputy regional director for administration of Police Regional Office 1`2 in Socsargen Region; Senior Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, regional director of the Police Regional Office in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); Senior Superintendent Sonny David, chairman of the Joint Security Control Coordinating Center in ARMM; and Senior Superintendent Pedro Regis Sr., chief of the Crime Laboratory Office 12. During the same ceremony held in Malacañang, President Arroyo also promoted five Police non-commissioned officers for heroic achievements during the height of the Maguindanao crisis. Promoted to the next higher rank were: SPO4 Antonio Aguit and SPO3 Menardo Cui of ARMM police office; PO3 Rey Corpuz of the police’s Special Action Force (SAF); PO2 Herden Pedrajas in Western Mindanao police; and PO1 Maureen Agustin of ARMM police. - KBK, GMANews.TV