DEATH ANNIVERSARY. Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, Army’s 11th Infantry Division (right), renders a salute to the statue of the late Brig. Gen. Teodulfo Bautista, then commander of the 1st Infantry Division, as they commemorate Monday (Oct. 10, 2022) the 45th death anniversary of the respected military leader. Bautista was among the 35 officers and men of the Philippine Army who were killed by elements of the Moro National Liberation Front under Usman Sali on Oct. 10, 1977 at the public market in Barangay Danag, Patikul, Sulu. (Photo courtesy of 11ID)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The 11th Infantry Division (ID) and the Joint Task Force-Sulu commemorated Monday the 45th death anniversary of Army Brig. Gen. Teodulfo Bautista, a respected military leader slain by Moro rebels.
Wreath laying ceremonies at Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Barangay Busbus, Jolo, Sulu was led by Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, JTF-Sulu and 11ID commander, and in Barangay Danag, Patikul, by Brig. Gen. Benjamin Batara Jr., 1103rd Infantry Brigade commander.
Bautista, then the 1st Infantry Division commander, was one of the 35 officers and men of the Philippine Army killed by elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under Usman Sali on Oct. 10, 1977 at a public market in Patikul.
Aside from Bautista, also killed was his classmate in the Philippine Military Academy, Col. Gabriel Pangilinan, then the Adjutant General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and four lieutenant colonels.
An Army sergeant, the group's radioman, survived by playing dead during the incident, referred to as the Patikul massacre.
Patrimonio said Bautista and 35 others gave their lives in the quest for peace.
“His legacy will always be remembered not only by the security forces but also by the people of Sulu. He is an epitome of a great leader who has shown his heart and passion in attaining the peaceful co-existence of people in the province,” Patrimonio said in a statement.
Batara, who led the wreath laying on the site of the bloodbath in Barangay Danag, Patikul, noted that “Sulu has changed a lot, and we are now enjoying peace because of the sacrifices of Brig. Gen. Bautista and his colleagues."
Meanwhile, Patikul Mayor Kabir Hayudini also conveyed his message of gratitude to Bautista.
“On behalf of the people of Patikul, Sulu, we honor the late Brig. Gen. Bautista and 35 others for their sacrifices in achieving peace not only in Patikul, but the province of Sulu,” Hayudini said.
“We will, therefore, continually support the military in their peace and security campaign in the province,” he added.
In honor of his contributions to peace in Sulu, the 11ID’s headquarters Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista was named after him. (PNA)
