5 SAF troopers get commendation medals

GENERAL SANTOS CITY--Five police Special Action Force (SAF) personnel assigned at the Police Regional Office (PRO)-12 have received commendation medals for spearheading counter-insurgency operations last month in Glan town, Sarangani Province.

Supt. Aldrin Gonzales, PRO-12 public information officer, said Tuesday the SAF troopers helped avert plots to disrupt the conduct of the 2018 Sarangani Bay (SarBay) Festival from May 24 to 27 in the coastal villages of Glan.

Gonzales said the five police officers specifically conducted extended counter-insurgency operations along the boundaries of Barangays Calabanit, Gumasa and Cablalan.    

“These operations led to the peaceful holding of the Sarangani Bay Festival,” he said in a statement.

Gonzales said the SAF personnel formally received the Medalya ng Papuri or the Philippine National Police (PNP) Commendation Medal in a ceremony held at the PRO-12 headquarters in Barangay Tambler here on Monday.

The awardees were Senior Insp. Marx Deo Aperocho, Senior Police Officer (SPO) 1 Jofrine Maldecir, PO3 Melvin Mamburam, PO1 Bryant Robert Baldesco and PO1 Godofredo Reputola. They are all assigned under the 42nd Special Action Company, 4th Special Action Battalion of the PNP-SAF.

Gonzales said the SAF unit is mainly tapped by PRO-12 in securing various events and in conducting counter-terrorism operations. It also serves as standby force for search and rescue operations during calamities as well as for civil disturbance management operations and address, he said.

The SarBay festival, considered as the biggest beach event in Mindanao, drew more than 100,000 visitors this year to the white sand beaches of Barangay Gumasa in Glan.

The festivity made a comeback this year after its 2017 edition was cancelled by the provincial government due to the siege of Marawi City and declaration of martial law in Mindanao. (PNA)