Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
January 13, 2020
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte honored the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) heroes of the 2017 Marawi siege for their steadfast and unrelenting will that went beyond the call of duty during times of crisis, in his third visit at the Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
“Such heroism was in full display during the Marawi operations. The 103 officers and 1,800 enlisted personnel who joined our all-out offensive against the enemies successfully regained the Mapandi, Banggolo, and Masiu bridges and recovered more than PhP80 [million] of cash and checks,” President Duterte said.
“I hope that with this honor, all of you will be inspired to continue to embody strength, fortitude and resilience in ensuring lasting peace in our homeland,” President Duterte added.
The Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kampilan was conferred on 10 marines who were seriously wounded as a direct result of their participation during the Marawi siege in May 2017.
On the other hand, 138 out of the supposed 1,497 awardees of the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kamagi received the award during the ceremony.
The President urged the military personnel in attendance to continue to promote peace and order, as well as humanitarian and disaster response in times of natural and man-made disasters. He also reiterated his firm commitment to ensure their families’ welfare and their children’s education in case they were killed in the line of duty.
Likewise, the Commander-in-Chief addressed the concerns of the military personnel that were amputated or heavily injured during encounters against lawless elements, reassuring them that he will give them the means to restore them back.
During the occasion, the PMC received additional military equipment and firearms to enhance their combat capability, including 5,421 units of Glock pistols, 12 units of 45. caliber 1911 model rock island pistols, 677 tactical handheld radios, 20 repeater system, and 50 sniper rifles.
“To our marines, I assure you that this administration will continue to boost the morale, efficiency, and the responsiveness of our uniformed personnel through modernization, capacity building and other meritorious initiatives,” President Duterte stated.
“Together, let us safeguard our communities in pursuit of a more peaceful and secure nation,” the President ended.
The brand new equipment were procured through the Horizon 2 of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, initially implemented in 2018 up until 2022 with a budget of PhP300 billion.
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