Cabanlit led the 78 other soldiers from the 72nd Division Reconnaissance Company (72nd DRC) of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division here, that was tasked to undertake rear defense to frontline assault units in the Marawi siege.
“Palaging kinakabahan. Saka hindi mo alam kung uuwi pa ba o hindi na,” Lei Ann said as she, with their girl on her lap sat at the bleacher at the parade ground, excitedly waiting for Cabanlit who landed with his men at the general headquarters here on huge military trucks at about 7 p.m. Friday.
For the past five months, she said, she could not help but pray as friends and relatives advised her and waited for his phone calls which came “too rarely.”
Lei Ann was one of families and relatives of the soldiers who patiently waited to have them hugged and kissed after the ceremonial heroes’ welcome and pinning of awards that was led by Major Gen. Felimon Santos, 7ID commanding genera.
Children, with some boys in full military uniform, were seen rushing to their fathers at the ground.
“In going there, their task is to defend the rear. Ibig sabihin, pinu-protektahan nila ang likod upang hindi ma-reinforce ang kalaban which is very important,” Santos said, “especially in our military tactics.”
“They’ve played their role, they’ve it well,” Santos stressed.
He said the company also conducted checkpoints to prevent Maute from moving from one place to another and cleared houses.
The company even recovered 12 high powered-fi rearms, improvised explosive device, 16 radio communication equipment and base radio, one binocular, among others, during a clearing operation, Santos said.
Cabanlit, for his part, said they really had to fi ght the feeling of being away from their family and unfamiliarity with urban warfare.
“Natural sa amin yung nangungulila but with the leadership of my fellow officers sinasabi ko sa kanila na palagi i-motivate yung mga tao natin,” he said.
With a green rosary on his right breast, Cabanlit said they had to pray before operation.
“Itong rosary na ito symbolizes ang aming paniniwala sa Panginoon na kahit na anong hirap at susuungin naming panganib, pu-protektahan niya kami,” he said.
PFC Harold Luis who served as an automatic rifleman thanked God for protection as well as his family and the government for support.
Another PFC by the name of Manabat said that despite the tragedy he himself witnessed in Marawi, he would support the dream of his son, who came in fatigue uniform, to be a soldier in the future.
Santos said after a debriefi ng, the soldiers will be given a month-long vacation.
He said while no one from the 72nd DRC was killed, they witnessed and joined the rescue of wounded comrades. That sight, he said, was not easy for soldiers.
But Santos also honored PFC Nesty Tecson of the 7ID who was among the 165 soldiers killed in action in liberating Marawi.Tecson, who was with the Scout Rangers, was killed during the final assault, he said.
The 7ID also had two wounded personnel, he said. They were PFC Nardades and 2Lt. Cinco, both of the 69th Infantry Battalion who were “being taken care of by the government.”
