BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City– An Ilonggo officer of the Philippine Marines from this southern city was killed in an encounter between government troops and the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu.
1Lt. Roger Flores of Brgy. Tanza Bonifacio here was one of the seven casualties from the government troops.
Thirteen other soldiers were wounded.
Flores was a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Masiglahi Class 2009.
He finished his Marine Basic Officer Training Course in the US.
Before entering the PMA, Flores studied Electrical Engineering at Central Philippine University (CPU).
He was also recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines.
Flores was set to marry his fiancée this October.
As of this writing, Flores’ cadaver was at Villamor Airbase. He would be transferred to the Philippine Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
On Tuesday, his remains will be brought home to Iloilo City.
Ten Abu Sayyaf members were also killed in the encounter.
According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), government troops were approaching a known Abu Sayyaf lair when fighting broke out.
The Islamic militants were the first to fire on the soldiers, killing Flores first.
“The remaining troops are still in the area of operations while the casualties were evacuated,” a statement from the AFP read.
Thursday’s attack came after the Abu Sayyaf suffered a series of setbacks, including the capture in Manila last week of one of its leaders, Khair Mundos who is on the US government’s list of “most wanted” terror suspects.
Days later, two of his followers were also arrested.
Many Abu Sayyaf leaders have been captured or killed, but it continues to pose a threat in the south, kidnapping people and carrying out bomb attacks.
The militants are able to draw support from local Muslim communities who feel they have been persecuted for centuries by Christian rulers.
They also get money for weapons from their successful kidnap-for-ransom ventures.
The group, founded in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, is blamed for the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines’ recent history.
This includes the 2004 bombing of a ferry that left more than 100 dead.
Several hostages are still believed to be held by the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of Jolo, Sulu. (With a report from the AFP/PN)
