Seventeen soldiers of the Philippine Army were seriously injured when their military truck fell into a deep ravine in Banisilan, North Cotabato over the weekend, reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City said yesterday.
Lieutenant Colonel Buenaventura Pascual, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Information Office (PIO) chief, said the injured soldiers were among the 24 Army troopers who were on board an M-35 military truck that fell into a deep ravine along the Almada-Banisilan Road in Barangay Salama, Banisilan, North Cotabato at 8:45 p.m. last Saturday.
Pascual identified the injured soldiers only as Privates First Class Nasser, Amp, Mendoza, Utto, Pangawilan, Rubio, Candolada, Petenciano, Sangke, and Albarado, all members of the 3rd Infantry Battalion;
Corporals Deanon and Pagsanjan, and Privates Feliciano, Tubing, Cabanilla, Patta, and Malik of the 37th Infantry Battalion.
Military officers said the truck developed engine trouble near the Salam Detachment when the driver lost control of the vehicle and fell into the ravine.
The injured soldiers were taken to a hospital in Awang, Maguindanao, reports added. (Aris R. Ilagan)
DILG starts RP-wide search for ‘117’ heroes
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Foundation for Crime Prevention (FCP) formally launched yesterday the fourth nationwide search for "Heroes of Patrol 117."
The signing of an agreement between DILG Secretary Angelo Reyes, FCP Corporate Secretary lawyer Miguel Varela, Manila Jaycees President Pablo Francisco Carlos III, and Lamoiyan Corporation President Cecilio Pedro signaled the launching of the annual search at the DILG office in Quezon City.
Also present at the launching were DILG Undersecretary for Administration Melchor Rosales, National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Linda Hornilla, and officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
According to Reyes, the award recognizes the unique and special contributions of certain units and individuals who have made the program a huge success.
"The program could not have gone this far without the help of the 117 operators and service responders, and of course, the citizens who believed in the noble objective of the program," he said.
Patrol 117 Commission Officer-in-Charge and Executive Director lawyer Armi Jane Borje said the annual search, which is now on its fourth year, aims to bolster and enhance the morale of those involved in the 117 program, as well as to heighten citizen participation in public safety, crime prevention, and development in their respective localities.
"It is but fitting to recognize the exemplary acts of 117 callers and texters, operators, supervisors, and responders as modern-day heroes who went beyond the call of duty to make a difference in the lives of others," Borje said. (Elena L. Aben)
