Purisima awards cops in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima on Friday awarded merit medals to policemen who fought with the military against members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who laid siege on the city for three weeks

Purisima also posthumously awarded the policemen who were killed during the siege and handed financial assistance to their grieving families.

Among those who received the awards were members of the police Special Action Force (SAF) and the Regional Police Safety Battalion (RPSB).

“You are all heroes in the eyes of the Filipino people,” Purisima said as he commended all the police forces.

Aside from the policemen in Zamboanga Peninsula, the others were deployed from regions 3, 6, and 10.

Purisima also thanked President Benigno Aquino III and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas, who guided the police in their operations which led to the minimal casualties on both the men in uniform and the affected civilians.

Four policemen were killed and 15 more were wounded as the security forces attempted to take back several villages from the rebels.

The standoff also left 12 civilians dead and 72 wounded.

During the visit, Purisima handed P10,000 to each policemen who lost their houses within the area of conflict.

Purisima said that the Public Safety Loan Association Inc. (PSLAI) will also give the policemen lower interest if they will avail of loans.

The police chief's visit was capped with a boodle fight in Barangay Mercedes with the policemen and their officials, Police Regional Office 9 (PRO) 9 director Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño and SAF chief Police Director Carmelo Valmoria.