ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Western
Mindanao Command (WESMINCOM) recently conferred the Wounded Personnel Medal on
five soldiers who were wounded in recent encounters with the Abu Sayyaf Group.
In a press
release, Col. Rodrigo T Gregorio, WESMINCOM command public relations officer
said that four of the soldiers who were wounded during an encounter with Abu
Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Al-barka, Basilan Province while performing livestock
dispersal.
The other
soldier was wounded when shot by unidentified motorcycle riders believed to be
members of the Urban Terrorist Group (UTG) of the ASG in Jolo, Sulu. All of
which transpired on May 6, 2013.
No less the
commander of WESTMINCOM Lt. Gen. Rey C Ardo pinned the awards to the five
wounded soldiers during a simple ceremony inside the Heroes’ Ward of Camp
Navarro General Hospital where the said personnel are presently confined and
being given medical treatment.
“The awarding of the Wounded
Personnel Medal is a time-honored tradition in the Armed Forces as a way of
recognizing the heroism of our soldiers who get wounded in action against the
enemy of the state while in the performance of their duties,” Gen Ardo said.
Aside from the medal, the wounded soldiers and their
families also received bags of goodies and groceries from the command. (PIA9)