The city government of Makati has extended financial assistance to 19 members of the 84th Seaborne Company of the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police who were part of the Mamasapano operation on January 25.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay on Wednesday said the gallantry of these men should be remembered. “They should not become the Forgotten 19.”
The 19 SAF personnel, whose names have been withheld upon their request, each received a P100,000-check handed by the mayor at his office at City Hall on Tuesday.
“These 19 valiant members of SAF 84th Seaborne Company also deserve our recognition and gratitude for having risked their lives to capture known terrorists and thereby save innocent lives. This is the least we can do to show our appreciation of their dedication to duty,” Binay said in a statement.
Earlier, the city government held a tribute for the 44 SAF members who were killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, while battling Muslim rebels who grossly outnumbered them.
The mayor, together with Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Nancy Binay and former mayor Dr. Elenita Binay, handed the P100,000-check to each of the SAF men’s families as financial assistance.
Other forms of assistance, such as college scholarship at the University of Makati, medical services through the Ospital ng Makati and a P300,000-housing benefit from the National Housing Authority, were also offered to the beneficiaries during the tribute.
On February 8, the Binays visited and distributed P100,000 each to the 15 wounded commandos of the PNP-SAF who survived the bloody mission.