Zambo Sur town declares fallen SAF officers as heroes

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PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Jan. 31 (PNA) -- Mayor Ace William Cerilles of the nearby Dumalinao town said the death of the Special Action Force (SAF) police officers, who were his town mates, is a great loss for his municipality.

Cerilles issued the statement as he joined the arrival honors ceremony Saturday afforded to the late Senior Insp. John Garry Erana, the commanding officer of the 55th Special Action Company.

Erana, who hails from Dumalinao town, this province, is one of the 44 SAF policemen, including seven officers, that killed in the alleged “misencounter” last Sunday in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

The remains of Erana arrived here at 9 a.m. Saturday aboard a commercial plane from Manila.

Supposedly, the remains of three slain SAF policemen, including Erana, are scheduled to arrive here Saturday.

However, provincial police director Senior Supt. Sofronio Ecaldre said the remains of Insp. Rennie Tayrus and Police Officer 3 Virgel Villanueva were not accommodated due to lack of space.

Tayrus is also from Dumalinao town while Villanueva hails from the coastal town of San Pablo, this province.

Ecaldre said the remains of Tayrus and Villanueva are scheduled to arrive here Sunday aboard a commercial plane from Manila.

Cerilles said they have lost the opportunity to be known in the future as town-producing police generals with the death of Erana and Tayrus.

Cerilles said the Sangguniang Bayan has passed a resolution recognizing Erana and Tayrus as “heroes of Dumalinao.”

Cerilles said the Sangguniang Bayan also approved a resolution allocating Php 100,000 as financial assistance at Php 50,000 each to be given to the bereaved families of Erana and Tayrus.

People lined up along the roadside as they witnessed the convoy of vehicles that brought the remains of Erana to nearby Dumalinao, his home town.

Those who joined the arrival honor ceremony afforded to the late Erana included police officials and personnel of this province 26 towns and one city, military, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection and from the other sectors of the society. (PNA)
RMA/TPGJR/Hirohito D. Cadion/ssc