ZAMBOANGA CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte personally honored and pinned medals to 23 soldiers who were wounded in recent clashes with Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern province of Sulu.
Duterte visited the soldiers at Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City and conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kampilan on them. He also extended financial assistance. Five soldiers were killed in the battle in Patikul town.
Those who received medals were 2Lt. Michael Vincent Benito, SSg. Rex Cureg, Sgt. Romeo Barbon, Sgt. Jerson Barasi, Sgt. Reynante Ruma, Cpl. Geneus Calamlam, Cpl. Bingbong Salvador, Cpl. Felix Jay Castillo, Cpl. Denver Lambino, Cpl. Eugene Corpuz, Pfc. London Longawis, Pfc. Aldrin Paj-Dio, Pfc. Kriel Manaligod, Pfc. Jordan Magundayao, Pfc. Ruben Bulayang, Pfc. Harvie Soriano, Pfc. Marnel Piduana, Pfc. Sandoval Ludivico, Pfc. John Paul Layugan, Pfc. Gevil Lorenzo, Pvt. Jayferson Balac, Pvt. Jaime Boco, Jr., and Pvt. Rizalde Tierro.
Another soldier, Pvt. Murphy Cuntapay, is currently confined at the AFP Medical Center in Quezon City.
The medal is awarded to personnel of the government and private individuals who were injured or suffered a significant loss of property as a direct result of their participation in an action supporting a campaign or advocacy of the President.
Aside from visiting the wounded soldiers, Duterte also pledged P300 million for the construction of a two-storey hospital inside Camp Navarro. He told the hospital management that it could use the P27 million remaining fund initially earmarked for the new Camp Navarro General Hospital to buy medical equipment. (PND)
