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| Southeast Asia |
| Policeman’s death leads to discovery of top secret US operation |
| 2003-12-02 |
| Police Inspector Virgilio Erese Jr., 29, died evening of October 25 during a special commando operation in the interior village of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. Virgilio Jr. or Jun-jun, drowned when the Kraan River they were crossing at around 7 that night suddenly swelled. His immediate superior, Sr. Inspector Isauro del Rosario, 32, and enlisted man PO1 Jhorwin Langub, 26, of Alabel, Sarangani, attempted to save him, but they, too, were carried away by the rampaging waters and died as well. The deployment of the police officers in Palimbang was supposed to be the last leg of a rigorous training for elite police officers graduating from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) this year. The death of Jun-jun and his companions led to the discovery of a heretofore hush-hush US-funded "top secret operations" in Mindanao. Erese said that aside from the regular benefits given to a family of a police officer killed in action, they were entitled to a $3,000 cash assistance from the US government, which he was told, financed the "top secret" operation of the Special Action Force (SAF) against international terrorists - the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Jemaah Islamiyah. Shortly before the deployment of the SAF in Sultan Kudarat province on September 25, it was reported that a band of ASG responsible for abducting foreigners in Malaysia, were sighted along the coastal town of Palimbang. When Gil arrived at the funeral parlor in General Santos City, Erese recalled he was called and was told: "You know Mr. Erese, this operation that included your child is assisted by the US government and you are entitled to an assistance of $3,000. Since there are still some papers to be processed, we will give you an advance payment of P50,000. We will just mail the remaining P70,000. All other benefits that you are supposed to receive from the (Philippine) government will also be given to you." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |