Marcos: SAF 44 heroism inspires PH to never yield to trespassers
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 25) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday paid tribute to the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troops killed in the historic Mamasapano clash nine years ago.
On the day of National Remembrance of the Heroic Sacrifice of the SAF 44, Marcos highlighted the lessons that can be learned from the fallen troops, emphasizing their sacrifices would be diminished if the country ceded its territory to trespassers.
"In their last hours, in that place of honor, we can draw many important lessons: The lessons such as to put nation before self. To display courage under fire. To resolve to forge ahead. To never give up," he said at a commemoration event at the Philippine National Police Academy in Cavite.
"We would also be disrespecting their memory if we give quarters to those who terrorize our people. We would be devaluing their valor if we cede our territory to those who would trespass upon it," the president added.
Marcos said the SAF 44's heroism and sacrifices are "a debt that we will never be able to fully pay" and "an obligation that we will never extinguish."
The president further called for a "kinder and gentler society" to honor the 44 brave men's devotion to duty.
"That is the mission that they have left us to pursue when they did not return from their last patrol," he said.
Marcos described the troops' defiance as "a clarion call for unity and action against any challenge that we might face."
"Let our reverence for these men be always accompanied by a deeper reflection, so we too can summon the fight in ourselves to build a better future for our nation," he stressed.
In January 2015, police commandos successfully neutralized Malaysian terrorist and bomb builder Zulkifli Abdhir alias "Marwan" in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
However, 44 SAF troopers were killed in a deadly clash in Barangay Tukanalipao with the combined forces of Moro rebels, breakaway fighters, and private armed groups who consider Mamasapano as their stronghold.
