PNP honors ‘Marawi heroes’

MANILA, Philippines — Over 700 police officers who played significant roles in the Liberation of Marawi City in 2017 received yesterday the Order of Lapu-Lapu, Rank of Kamagi during awarding rites at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said a total of 767 police personnel received the merit award.

“These awardees, especially those who came from Marawi City really sacrificed themselves. They even left their families just to protect our country,” Danao said in his speech.

He recognized the invaluable service rendered by the police officers from the different PNP regional offices and Special Action Force bases.

The PNP said 819 police personnel were chosen as recipients of the Order of Lapu-Lapu, Rank of Kamagi, 52 of whom received the award in 2017.

Danao said 708 of the awardees are still on active duty. Fifty-nine have either died or retired from the police service.

Islamic State-inspired militants took over Marawi on May 23, 2017, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee the city. Nearly a thousand militants were killed in the five-month siege.