9 soldiers honored for work in Zamboanga siege

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The Philippine Army honored on Monday nine of its soldiers with merit medals at the 1st Army Division headquarters in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur for their gallantry in the recent siege in this city.

Gold Cross medals were awarded to 1Lt Robert Martin Dimailig, Sergeant George Neri, Corporal Sajack Alam and Corporal Ramil Castillon; bronze Cross awards were given to Technical Sgt Eduardo Abog, SSgt Thuaheron Pangulima, Sgt. Kashir Hussin and Sgt. Manuel Suarez Jr; while the Wounded Personnel Medal was given to Sgt. Freddie C Centenales.

“The heroism and gallantry displayed by these soldiers during the Zamboanga City siege have been seen and known far beyond the four corners of our Command,” Brig. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, 1st Division chief, said as he presided the ceremony. 

The medal awards were given about two weeks after the an awarding ceremony led by the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief and President Benigno Aquino III was highly criticized as some honorees were not felt by their fellow soldiers on the battleground at the height of the crisis last September. 

Some of the officers who directly confronted and were not among the list of the awardees have chosen to keep their silence.

“The people of Zamboanga knew who were there,” one of the officials said.