MAGUINDANAO (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 20, 2014) – Philippine military chief Emmanuel Bautista awarded medals to more than a dozen soldiers who fought Moro rebels in fierce clashes in the southern region of Mindanao.
Bautista, who was accompanied by Western Mindanao Command military chief Rustico Guerrero, was welcomed by Col. Edgar Gonzales, commander of the 1st Mechanized Brigade in the province.
The military chief praised the soldiers – who are members of the 45th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Donald Hongitan, and 2nd Mechanized Battalion headed by Lt. Col. Felix Kahulugan – for their bravery in fighting the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, tagged as behind the spate of attacks and terrorism in Mindanao.
The troops also captured a rebel base used as springboard in BIFF attacks against military and civilian targets. Gonzales said the troops’ morale is high. (Mark Navales)
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