‘AFP is proud of you’- General Año to wounded soldiers

By Jong Cadion

       

ZAMBOANGA CITY (August 13, 2017) - The Armed Forces of the Philippines is proud of you. Get well soon, brave soldiers,” said General Eduardo Año, the AFP Chief of Staff, to the wounded personnel during the awarding in Zamboanga City on Saturday.

Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) information officer Cpt Jo-Ann D. Petinglay disclosed that Staff Sergeant Junifel Pangasian, Sergeant Yusop Nahudan, Sergeant Al-Muktar Sali, Corporal Ayatulla Hamid, Private Arjone Bano, Mole Icasama and Lito Lalag of the Civilian Active Auxiliary, and Charlie Alejandro of the Civilian Volunteers’ Organization were pinned the Wounded Personnel Medal by the AFP Chief of Staff.

Cpt Petinglay said that the soldiers were wounded in separate armed engagements with the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan, the Local Terrorist Group in Marawi City, and the communist terrorists in Zamboanga del Norte.

In his message to the troops, General Año said: “We are seeing the end of the Marawi armed conflict with more than 560 terrorists slain in the battle area. We see this as an opportunity to end terrorism and bring the defeat of threat groups in Basilan, Sulu, Marawi, and Maguindanao.”

“These are times when we really feel the support of our countrymen, which is very rewarding for us, soldiers,” added the AFP Chief of Staff.

He also commended Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., Commander of the Western Mindanao Command, for the successful offensives against the Abu Sayyaf and the local terrorists within the joint area of operations.

The awarding was held at the Camp Navarro General Hospital in Bagong Calarian, Zamboanga City at around 4pm Saturday.

"I further laud our medical personnel for giving their service to our battle casualties. We owe our success to the brave soldiers, to the commanders, and our stakeholders.”

General Año arrived from Basilan, shortly after he visited the troops at the headquarters of the 104th Brigade in Barangay Tabiawan, Isabela City, Basilan.

He was accompanied by Lieutenant General Galvez; Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, Commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu; Brigadier Custodio Parcon, Jr., Commander of the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi; and Colonel Leonel Nicolas, Commander of the Joint Task Force Zamboanga.

The AFP Chief of Staff was also given an update on the ongoing offensives against the threat groups within the joint area of operations, Cpt Petinglay added.