Fallen soldier, cop honored for sacrifices in Northern Samar clashes
TACLOBAN CITY – A soldier and a police officer were honored for sacrificing their lives during and after recent clashes with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Las Navas, Northern Samar.
Corporal Arcel Sicnoy of the Philippine Army (PA) and Police Executive Master Sergeant Harry Palao-ay of the Philippine National Police were honored during a send-off ceremony at the 803rd Infantry Brigade (IB) headquarters in Catarman, Northern Samar Monday.
Sicnoy, 34, a native of Kabugao, Apayao, died when his team from the 803rd IB attacked the heavily fortified NPA hideout in the mountains of Barangay San Isidro on July 31.
Palao-ay, a native of La Trinidad, Benguet, drowned on Aug. 2 when the motorboat carrying his team capsized while returning from processing a crime scene in connection with an armed encounter in Barangay San Isidro.
“The ceremony was marked by full military honors, heartfelt tributes, and prayers offered by their comrades, officers, and loved ones. A 21-gun salute echoed across the grounds – a powerful and time-honored gesture of respect for the fallen,” Capt. Jefferson Mariano, spokesperson of the PA 8th Infantry Division, said in a news release Tuesday.
Soldiers launched the operation in Barangay San Isidro following information given by a concerned civilian that a group of armed men was conducting extortion activities and threatening farmers in the area, a known NPA lair.
The two gunbattles killed eight NPA combatants, including key leaders of the regional guerilla unit of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.
After the encounters, soldiers recovered five M16 rifles, two R4 rifles, an M203 grenade launcher, a K3 light machine gun, and an M16 rifle. (PNA)