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History did not forget the heroism of Police Officer
1 Jamaron S. Sandag. In the hearts and mind of his fellow officers
and Siocon residents, Sandag was the hero.
It took almost four years before
his bravery was recognized.
In July last year Sandag, a
Special Action Force (SAF) trooper, was awarded the Medalya ng
Kagitingan, of the PNP Medal of Valor, the highest award given to
men of exemplary bravery.
His citation sums up Sandag’s
contribution to the PNP, it reads: “The exceptional heroism of Sandag
is reflection of his deed of self-sacrifice and exceptional courage
which are worthy of emulation by his fellow policemen and truly a
pride of the Philippine National Police.”
The most coveted award came with
an additional lifetime monthly pay of P20,000 and scholarship for
his two children, Korina and Janella.
The Medal of Valor almost eluded
him. “Ang buong akala ko wala ng makakaalala sa akin [I thought no
one would remember me],” he shared.
Sandag was then a living-out
detainee at the Siocon Municipal Jail for a 1990 murder case when at
least 100 combined Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf
rebels raided the town of Siocon. “I was 13 years old ng
pagbintangan ako. Nung nasa serbisyo na ako ng kasuhan at makulong.
May motibo talaga [I was 13 years old when I was accused of murder.
I was already in the service when I was formally charged and jailed.
They had an ill motive],” he related.
Siocon residents had just
celebrated their fiesta a day before rebels swooped on the Siocon
Police Station.
“May nagpanggap na MILF rebels
na kunwari nagrereklamo sa mga pulis [There were MILF rebels posing
as complainants],” he recalled. At once, rebels fired at Senior
Police Sabeniano Timosa and Police Officer 3 Esperidion Cardenas who
were instantly killed.
Sandag said the gunfire was a
signal for the rebels to attack the police station. Seeing the
policemen shot dead, he grabbed Timosa’s M16 rifle and bandolier
and started firing back “with short accurate bursts.”
Sandag saw the inmates killed by
the rebels in a volley of gunfire. Armed with a rifle, he managed to
keep a holding position across the churchyard in front of the police
station.
The exchange of gunfire lasted
until the wee hours of the morning with Sandag trying to keep the
rebels at bay.”
“Tinamaan ako pero daplis lang
sa ulo at baba. Lumaban na ako ng sabayan [I was hit in the head and
chin. I fought really hard],” he said.
Reinforcement arrived from the
903rd Provincial Mobile Group led by then Senior Insp. Ranie
Hachuela. According to Sandag, the Army troops, the first
reinforcement composed of Army, meanwhile, were ambushed along the
way.
The presence of Hachuela’s
group boosted Sandag’s morale. He later joined Hachuela and his
men to repel and to rescue Mayor Ceasar C. Soriano and his family.
With the forces of Sandag and
Hachuela, the rebels retreated. A total of 11 MILF/Abu Sayyaf
terrorists were killed in the encounter. The rebels burned the
public market.
Hachuela, who was then the group
commander of the 903rd Provincial Mobile Group, was earlier awarded
the Medal of Valor for leading the PNP unit that defended the town
against terrorists.
Sandag explained:
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga nagtiwala sa akin. Hindi ko kayo
bibiguin [I thank those who trusted me. I wont’ fail you].”
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