Ang aking pagbisita sa 10th Scout Ranger Company

 Kuha ang larawan ng sabitan ng Best Company Streamer ang aking yunit nina dating CGPA na si Lt Gen Jaime Delos Santos, katulong si SOCOM Commander MGen Delfin Lorenzana noong ika-25 ng Nobyembre 2001, habang nakamasid si BGen Gabriel Ledesma na noon ay Regiment Commander ng First Scout Ranger Regiment.

Ang isa sa masaklap na kaganapan tungkol sa aking pinamunuang yunit, ang 10th Scout Ranger Company, ay ang pagka-dissolve nito noong 2003. 

Isa ako sa unang binalitaan ng aking mga tauhan na ang kumpanyang kanilang kinabibilangan ay buwagin at sila ay ilipat sa ibang mga line companies. 

Ang una kong naiisip ay baka naman mapariwara ang iilan sa tropa kapag ihalo na sa iba't-ibang yunit. 

Marami agad ang mga 'Baka' na pumasok sa aking isipan sa mga panahong iyon:

• Baka naman wala nang mag-mentor sa kanilang mga pinagkatiwalaan  NCOs?
• Baka naman ay mawalan sila ng disiplina at maging pasaway sa ibang yunit?

Ang paliwanag ng pamunuan ng Philippine Army sa panahong iyon ay kailangang i-'downsize' ang FSRR. Napakarami ng tanong ko noon kung bakit kailangang buwagin ngunit wala ni isang opisyal na aking tinanungan ang makapagbigay noon ng maliwanag na sagot. 

Paano naman kasi, di naman kumokonti ang mga tigasing kalaban ng estado sa mga panahong iyon, eh bakit paliitin ang First Scout Ranger Regiment? Nariyan pa rin ang mga teroristang Abu Sayyaf, NPA at samo't-saring secessionist groups sa Mindanao! 

Nasayangan ako sa naipundar ko na pagod at pawis para maiangat ang kakayahan at kumpyansa ng yunit na ito sa pamamagitan ng paghubog sa kaalaman sa pakikidigma, leadership skills ng NCOs at integridad nito. Hindi kasi ito nagagawa ng overnight at kailangan ay aktwal na karanasan at mga pagsubok na syang nagbibigay ng di makakalimutang aral para sa aming mga mandirigma.

Batid rin namin na ang Scout Rangers ang pinakamadaling tawagin para kalabanin ang pinakapasaway na mga kalaban ng pamahalaan sa panahon na iyon kaya nalungkot din kami na mabuwag ang ilan sa mga Ranger Companies. 

Anyway, we naturally obey first before we complain. Kahit murmuring kami noon, natuloy ang pagbuwag sa humigit kumulang na sampung kumpanya para i-merge sa ibang mga units.

Kung susuriin, hindi naman lumiit ang FSRR kundi pinarami ang fill-up ng mga companies. Ang punto lang naman talaga namin ay baka naman pwedeng dagdagan ang strength ng FSRR as a whole at wag na itong buwagin.

 

Ayon sa naitala sa kasaysayan, nangyari din noong 1991 na ang dating deactivated na First Scout Ranger Regiment ay binuong muli dahil sa nakita ng AFP leadership ang importansya nito sa pakikipaglaban sa rebelde at terorista. 

Dahil sa napipintong pagbuwag ng aming kumpanya, minabuti kong ipagbilin kay Lt Mon Gurat na ipadala sa akin ang mga memorabilia ng yunit lalo na ang Best Company Streamers na nasungkit namin sa aking kapanahunan. Malay nga naman, buuhing muli ang 10th SRC. 

Tuwing makibalita ako sa kalagayan ng tropa simula noon, napag-alaman ko na sila ay nasa iba't-ibang dako ng Pilipinas. Natutuwa ako kapag sila ay nakikilalang magagaling at maaasahang NCOs sa kani-kanilang yunit. 

Dalawa sa kanila, si SSg Roselito Tayros at SSg Rodel Bonifacio ay nagiging awardees ng The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS) na iginawad ng Metrobank Foundation Inc. at Rotary Club of Makati-Metro. 

Noong 2012, si SSg Arnold Panganiban at SSg Jose Legaspi ay naitalagang First Sergeant ng 11SRC at 10th SRC, respectively.

Samantala, karamihan sa mga tropa ay mga mandirigma pa rin at naitalagang Platoon Sergeants at mga staff NCOs. 

Reactivation

Ayon sa aking inaasahan, binuong muli ang 10SRC pagkatapos ng humigit kumulang na tatlong taon na ito ay buwagin. Dahil nalipat na rin ako noon sa ibang yunit, hindi ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na bisitahin at isabit na muli ang streamers sa kanilang company colors. 

Nang mabalitaan kong sila ay nalipat sa battlegrounds ng Bukidnon iilang linggo lamang ang nakaraan, kinuha ko ang pagkakataon na sila ay bisitahin at ibalik ang streamers na ebidensya ng kagalingan at kontribusyon nito sa kasaysayan ng pakikidigma ng First Scout Ranger Regiment.

Hindi ako nag-atubiling tahakin ang maputik na daanan papunta sa kanilang lungga para sa wakas, maibalik ang parte ng kasaysayan ng yunit. 

Ito ay parte sa aking misyon ngayong kapaskuhan. Mission accomplished!

Sa isang simpleng 'seremonya' noong December 28, 2014, isinabit kong muli ang Best Company Streamers na nasungkit ng yunit noong taong 2000 at 2001. Kasama ko sa larawan si Lt Jayvee Santiago, ang Company Ex-O, at si TSg Jose Legaspi, ang First Sergeant.

 

Souvenir photo namin kasama ang mga tropa na sobrang high morale na makita ang Best Company streamers na pinaghirapan ng yunit sa pakikidigma nito sa Basilan at Sulu. Hinamon ko sila na dagdagan ang streamer sa pamamagitan ng pagpapairal ng disiplina, pagsasanay sa mga kaalamang pakikidigma at pagpapakita ng kabayanihan sa pakikidigma. 

Iginawad ko rin ang tactical boots na handog ng isang OFW sa California, USA na kumikilala sa kabayanihan ng mga Scout Rangers. 

Si  Sgt Ferdie Bisnar ay ang isa sa dalawang orihinal na miyembro ng 10th SRC na aking pinamunuan noong 2000. Sya ay nasugatan sa engkwentro namin sa Balatanay, Isabela Basilan at iniinda pa rin ang injury na natamo sa naturang engkwentro.

 Dahil hindi pa sila nakauwi para magbakasyon sa kapaskuhan, minabuti kong dalhan sila ng belated Noche Buena na pang-Scout Ranger. Hindi nawawala ang walang katapusang kwentuhan na matiyaga namang pinakikinggan ng aking anak na si Harvey.

Kinabukasan, inanyayahan ko ang ilan sa mga Musang sa aking tahanan sa probinsya para sa isang boodlefight bilang selebrasyon ng aking birthday.

 Simple lamang ang kaligayahan naming mga sundalo kagaya ng pagbibigay ng halaga sa kanilang sakripisyo at sila ay pasalamatan sa kanilang serbisyo sa bayan.

Ang Noche Buena ng Scout Rangers

Larawan ng aking mga tauhan sa paanan ng Mt. Sinumaan sa Patikul, Sulu noong kasagsagan ng Operation Final Option II noong taong 2000. (10SRC photo)

Ang isa sa pinakaaabangang yugto ng mga hukbo na nakatalaga sa field ay ang makakauwi sa kapaskuhan para makapiling ang mga kapamilya. Noong ako ay Company Commander ng 10th SRC, nakalatag na ang schedule ng bakasyon sa Nobyembre pa lamang. Pinag-uusapan ng mga members ng teams kung paano sila salitang magbakasyon sa Pasko at sa Bagong Taon.

Ang Pasko ay may kaakibat na tradisyon na kung saan ay panay kasayahan kasama ang mga mahal sa buhay at ang pinakaimportante sa lahat ay ang kainan tuwing Noche Buena. Di po ba? 

Walang katapusang kainan ng masasarap na pagkain na tipong sa Pasko mo rin lang matitikman ang iba. Syempre, sa ating mga Pilipino, pag-ipunan natin ang Pasko para ang Noche Buena ay talagang bonggacious kagaya ng larawan sa ibaba. 

Larawan ng masasarap na pagkain na karaniwan ay natitikman tuwing Noche Buena. Ang ganitong larawan ang nasa aming imahinasyon kapag kami ay nasa gubat habang nag-iisip paano naman kami makapag-Noche Buena para kahit papaano ay nakikiisa rin kami sa diwa ng tradisyon na ito. (Kuha ang larawan sa internet)

Ang Noche Buena ng mga Musang

Malaking porsyento ng mga sundalo ay mga Kristiyano at kalimitan ay mga Katoliko. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ang mga yunit ay nagkakaroon din ng mga selebrasyon na alinsunod sa ginagawa ng karamihang sibilyan. 

Pagkatapos ng isang engkwentro namin noong Disyembre 17, 2000 sa Patikul ay nagkaroon kami ng pagkakataon na magpahinga ng 3 araw sa Barangay Taglibi para magpa-resupply ng bala at mga pagkain para sa operations. 

Kinuha ko na rin iyon na pagkakataon para magpadala ng karneng manok, baka, isda at pati tinapay at pancit miki na syang ihahanda para sa aming munting salu-salo. 

Once in a blue moon din lang na hinahayaan ko silang tumikim ng alak. Tikim lang talaga kasi isang lapad lang bawat team. Bawal kasi malasing kapag nasa kasagsagan ng combat operations.

Ang ginagawa namin ay naka-distribute sa bawat teams ang mga sangkap at kanya-kanyang assignment ng putahe. Division of labor ika nga. 

Sa kanilang munting pagpupulong, ipinasa ng Platoon Sergeant ang aking kautusan.

"Team 1, adobong manok!"

"Team 2, pancit miki guisado!"

"Team 3, nilagang buto ng baka!"

"Team 4, escabeche at kinilaw na isda!"

Syempre, paminsan lang din naman kaming maghahanda ng ganoon kagaya ng may unit anniversary o birthday celebration ng tropa. 

Ang kaibahan lang sa amin, iniba namin ang oras ng Noche Buena. Instead na sa hating-gabi ay ginagawa namin bago ang tinatawag na End of Evening Nautical Twilight, o bago tuluyang dumilim. Bakit? Syempre, mahirap yatang kumakain sa gitna ng dilim! 

Pre, baka magtanong ka kung 'Noche Buena' pa ba yon? Alam ko naman na "Good night" ang ibig sabihin noon salitang iyon pero syempre practical kami sa field. Mas mahalaga ang safety ng tropa kaysa naman mag-flashlight kami para makapaglatag ng kainan sa hating-gabi. 

Okay, sabihin na lang nating, "Buenas Tardes" (Good afternoon) ang aming handaan dahil bago gumabi namin kinakain ang handa na pang-Noche Buena. Ang importante sa lahat, solved kami. Naka-smile ang lahat at nalilimutan ang lungkot na nararamdaman ng mga mandirigma na naiiwang makikipaglaban sa mga bandido sa kapaskuhan.

Well, maswerte kami noon kasi nasa 'admin area' kami para sa resupply operations. Paano naman pala kung nasa gitna ng gubat kami inabutan ng Pasko? Syempre, pang-tactical din ang Noche Buena. 

Actually, pinadalhan ako ng larawan ng mga mandirigma na nasa kagubatan ng Patikul ngayong Pasko ng 2014. Nasa parehas silang lugar na aking ginagalugad sampung taon lang ang nakalipas. 

Dahil hindi sila nakababa sa kabihasnan, pinagtitiyagaan nila ang parte ng kanilang nakaraang resupply: Loaf bread at pancit canton. Iyon lang ang kanilang handa. As in wala nang iba. Walang palamang sandwich spread, walang kape o soft drinks. Pagkakain bandang alas singko kahapon (December 24), kanya-kanyang lagok ng tubig sa water canteen. Sobrang happy pa rin sila, di po ba? Musang kasi.

                         

  

Nang aking kinausap ang Platoon Leader, ipinaabot nya ang mensahe ng kanyang yunit na walang humpay ang paghahalughog sa kasukalan para tugisin ang mga bandido na may hawak pa ring mga hostages.

"Sir, para maramdaman namin ang diwa ng Pasko, naghahanda pa rin kami ng espesyal na menu. Pinaaabot namin sa ating mga kababayan ang aming mainit na pagbati ng Merry Christmas mula dito sa kagubatan ng Patikul."

Sa nakikita ko noong aking kapanahunan at ngayon, halos parehas lang ang aming pakikiisa sa Noche Buena. Ang importante sa amin ay nararamdaman namin ang pagiging pamilya ng aming mga kasamahang tropa at nalilimutan ang nararamdamang kalungkutan tuwing naaalala namin ang kanya-kanyang pamilya sa aming tahanan.

Ganon lamang kasimple ang aming handa at kung ano man ang available ay aming pinagkakasya. Ang importante sa amin ay tuloy-tuloy na magagampanan ang sinumpaang tungkulin na ipagtanggol ang ating kababayan sa pwersa ng masasama. 

Leading from the front: The story of Lt Dante Espiritu

Lt Dante 'Sprite' Espiritu proudly wears the 'tabak' on his left breast pocket after completing the rigorous Scout Ranger Course in 2011.

Since his college days, 1st Lieutenant Dante 'Sprite' Espiritu, 34, of Pagadian City,  always dreamed of becoming a certified Scout Ranger. 

While attending college, he complied all  the ROTC requirements religiously. He earned the admiration of his Tactical NCOs, some of whom were Scout Rangers. 

He can vividly remember the  likes of Msg Ruben Moreno and Tsg Amar. He said that they were higly-respectable Scout Ranger non-commissioned officers (NCOs).

"They inspired me to join the Army. I admired them because of their good demeanor.  I liked the way they conducted themselves during our training," said Espiritu, a B.S. Criminology graduate of Pagadian College of Criminology. 

He rose to become the ROTC commander in his school during which he gained more experiences on how to lead people. 

"I learned in ROTC that the higher your rank, the more responsibilities you will get. I also realized that the best way to motivate the subordinates in doing difficult tasks is to show the best example," he said. 

Army life

After finishing college, he took the Preparatory Officer's Training Course (POTC) in preparation to his journey in the military service. 

"I was quite determined to dedicate my life in the Army. I was no longer interested to pursue any other career," he revealed.

  

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in 2009,  and was called to active duty (CAD) a year later when he finished the Officer Preparatory Course (OPC) at the Training and Doctrine Command of the Philippine Army.

He found himself at SOCOM headquarters after spending his short admin break. 

"Perhaps, it was a stroke of luck that two of us from OPC were assigned to SOCOM. I knew that my buddy was a die-hard SF so I let him select a unit first. As expected, he opted to be with the Special Forces Regiment, so, I fulfilled my dream of joining the ranks of the elite Scout Rangers." 

In June 2010, Espiritu was assigned as a Platoon Leader of the 10th Scout Ranger Company that was based in Basilan. He knew that anytime, he would be joining the exciting adventures that every young officer wanted.

1st Lt Rey Daet, his Company Commander and a member of PMA Class of 2002, was his first mentor. He was still a 'non-Ranger' during that time but he wanted to prove his worth as a leader.

"I was lucky that my C.O. was an excellent leader and mentor. He taught me how to gradually immerse in the company that was composed of highly-experienced soldiers whose fighting tradition of 'walang iwanan' was widely known," he said. 

A few months later, he received his baptism of fire during a patrolling mission in Baiwas village in Sumisip town. 

While reconnoitering deep inside the jungle lair of the Abu Sayyaf, he found himself in the middle of an enemy encampment. 

"Visibility was almost zero during that time when we stealthily stalked the enemy deep in the forest. It was almost 4:00 am when we stumbled upon people who were sleeping on a makeshift tent," he said. 

"All of a sudden,  two people rose and scampered away, announcing our presence. In a few moment, the burst of gunshots commenced, hitting two of my teammates and prompted us to retaliate, triggering a heavy exchange of fires."

He would later experience another firefight in the succeeding patrols. He said that the presence of well-experienced SR NCOs mattered most in those encounters. 

"I was inspired more by the good examples shown by my NCOs in those bloody skirmishes. They took care of me and helped me in leading our patrols," said Espiritu. 

He remained unscathed in all of those bloody firefights which injured some of his subordinates. 

He already had the bragging rights as a 'mandirigma', but he lacked something: the SR "tabak".


Capturing "Musang"

When he was sent to the Scout Ranger Training School to join the Scout Ranger Course Class 180-11, he was very excited. 

He had long wanted to wear the much-coveted Scout Ranger 'tabak', the same one that was proudly worn by his ROTC mentors and NCO-leaders of the 10th Scout Ranger Company . 

"I have no other goal in my life during that year. I was determined to capture Haring Musang and become a true-blooded warrior,"he said. 

During my visit to the home of the First Scout Ranger Regiment last year, I gathered all Scout Rangers to pose for a 'look up' photo with "Haring Musang", the official SR mascot. Some of my subordinates from the 10th Scout Ranger Company joined me in this souvenir picture.

He said that he learned more of the art of combat leadership and counter-guerilla tactics while studying at the school. 

"I mastered the techniques, tactics and procedures in leading soldiers to combat under difficult conditions. I learned small-unit tactics from NCOs who had experienced real-life battles against different adversaries like the Abu Sayyaf, MILF and NPA bandits," he said. 

Lt Espiritu (2nd from left) and his batchmates pose for a souvenir photo during the lull of their SR Course training that was conducted in San Miguel, Bulacan sometime in 2011.


Espiritu and his batchmates later found themselves in the battlegrounds of Basilan for their Test Mission in 2011. 

Armed with his valuable experiences as a Platoon Leader in the same area, he was no stranger to the tactics used by the lawless elements.

His team figured in a fierce clash with Abu Sayyaf bandits somewhere in the boundary of Tipo-tipo and Al-Barka. They fought fearlessly, killing numerous bandits and grabbing 3 high-powered firearms including two M16A1 Assault Rifles and an M14 Assault Rifle. He earned his first Gold Cross Medal in that encounter.

Lt Dante Espiritu was awarded the Gold Cross Medal for acts of gallantry during the AFP Day in 2012. He was congratulated by the former CSAFP, General Emmanuel Bautista.

He finally fulfilled his dream of becoming a full-blooded Scout Ranger when he was pinned the Scout Ranger tab during the graduation rites in Camp Tecson in Bulacan. 

Ranger tradition: "Walang iwanan"

He was a certified 'Musang' when he came back to 10SRC in January 2012. 

1st Cpt Rodrigo Babaran was the new Company Commander when the unit figured in another major encounter with the Abu Sayyaf bandits in Baiwas village in Sumisip town. 

The warriors of the 10th Scout Ranger Company celebrated their victory after capturing an Abu Sayyaf camp in the hinterlands of Sumisip town, Basilan in July 2012. (10SRC Photo)



Cpt Arcel Soco, 32, a member of PMA Class of 2006, once mentored 2nd Lt Espiritu. As the former Executive Officer of the 10th SRC, they were together in at least three clashes in 2012. 

"He can lead people to fight under intense pressure. He can be trusted to perform dangerous missions," said Soco, one of the battle-hardened officers of the FSRR.

Soco said that in one instance, he tasked Espiritu's platoon to save civilians who were caught in a crossfire when their camp was attacked by bandits on July 1, 2012. 

"He fought bravely with his men to suppress the attackers and collect the civilians who were caught in the middle of the firefight. They used their own bodies to shield the people and brought them to safety," he said. 

Soco was again with Espiritu when their unit dashed towards an encounter site where members of the 11th Scout Ranger Company were pinned down by an overwhelming number of bandits on July 26, 2012. 

Soco entrusted his men to Espiritu when he and 10 others were wounded while fighting against the attackers of 11th SRC.

"Our C.O., Cpt Babaran, was also slightly wounded during that time. Though he (Cpt Babaran) chose to remain with the troops, we both relied on Sprite to spearhead the evacuation of all casualties from the encounter site. He courageously performed his task and we were able to save our wounded men," he said.

Helping engaged Scout Ranger buddies became a routine for Espiritu during his stint in the 10th SRC. 

In 2011, he also reinforced Lt Michael Asistores' platoon in a fierce encounter against bandits somewhere in Al-Barka. Asistores was was wounded in that clash but the unit managed to seize several high-powered firearms. 

In October 2013, he also reinforced the troops of 11th SRC when it incurred casualties in a firefight with bandits in Tong Bato village in Ungkaya Pukan town. 

"We are proud of this tradition of 'walang iwanan' among the Rangers. We better end up dead than leaving our fallen brothers behind," he said. 

Two hours of hell

On November 14, 2014, he was part of the operating troops of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion who were tasked to hunt down the elusive bandits in the boundary of Patikul and Talipao. 

Since the release of the German hostages about a month ago, the bandits simply disappeared in the hinterlands. Except for the brief skirmishes, the soldiers always came hours behind the bandits who successfully evaded the pursuers. 

When his unit was pulled out from its deployment area in Visayas, he knew that they would be facing new challenges. Though he had experienced fighting the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, he was not familiar to the new terrain in Sulu. 

"I have experienced the Abu Sayyaf's battle technique of swarming small patrols. Since I am a newcomer in Sulu, I have to be very careful because the terrain is different," he said.

The troops of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion led by Lt Col Eugenio Boquio, hopped from one island province to another during their deployment in the Visayas region. (1SRB photo)

Early morning that day, he led a patrol to conduct area reconnaissance near the foothills of Bud Bagsak and Bud Tunggul, the known lair of Radulan Sahiron. 

His team spotted human traces but he could not ascertain if these were the bandits that they were looking for. Just before noon, he rejoined the Command Group led by his Battalion Commander, Lt Col Eugene Boquio to report his findings and to take some rest. 

It was about 12:30 pm when his Bat Com directed him to conduct another reconnaissance near the vicinity of Bud Bunga which was only about 300 meters away from the patrol base. 

He decided to discard all combat packs to lighten their load. He directed his subordinate leaders to carry only the mission-essential equipment.

"I could not describe my feeling before we left. I felt like someone was watching us. I told my Platoon Sergeant, SSg Ray Grabato to take extra precaution and supervise closely all patrol members during our movement."

Before they left, they prayed the Psalm 91 as part of their S.O.P. before any patrolling mission. Feeling calm and focused, he stayed with the spearheading team led by Sgt Elmer Lazaga. 

His Scout Ranger Course classmate, Pfc Joey Blanche, was with him in the leading team. They were together for 6 months during their training and they were happy to be assigned in the same unit. Sometimes he would pat the back of Blanche, motivating the latter to move on. 

As a Platoon Leader, he is expected to lead from the front where he can best control the operating elements. He trusted his subordinates because the NCOs were all battle-hardened soldiers. 

When he looked behind him, he saw determined faces of Sgt Eddie Lumandap and Sgt Rexelito Octa. Both of them were well-experienced team leaders who had been to countless battles. 

"Along the way, we saw some indications of human presence. There were newly cut branches and signs of ground disturbance," he said. 

Sensing danger, he decided to call for a short halt to observe the surroundings. Everyone froze in their respective sectors as they tried to feel the enemy presence.

"We tried to smell distinct odors that are not natural in the forest. We also tried our best to distinguish animal sounds from human voices," he said. 

Then, they heard something different: faint human voices that traveled through air along with the chirping sounds of birds!

Scout Rangers inspect the hut where bandits were spotted by the recon elements led by 1st Lt Dante Espiritu at 1:20pm on November 14, 2014. (1SRB photo)

In front of him, Cpl Taluyan showed the familiar arm signal, telling them that he saw a hut. Without any command, the whole leading team proceeded to skirmishers line. He signaled the others to form the "L" formation.

"We crawled towards a bamboo tree to observe the surroundings. We were shocked to see armed bandits about 15 meters away. I promptly directed everyone to spread out and maximize our firepower to the front," he said. 

As the teams crawled towards their respective positions, he grabbed his Global Positioning System receiver, lensatic compass and tactical map. He recorded his grid location and grabbed the radio that was carried by Cpl Larroza. 

"I am at vicinity GC 911666, over. 10 armed enemy sighted in a hut, 15 meters south of my position."

Sensing the signal interruptions, he grabbed his cellphone to send a text message. 

"I was lucky that there were 'three bars' of cellphone signal. I encoded the message and sent it to my commander."

When I inspected our position, all of us were in skirmishers formation, guns aimed at our respective targets. We were already excited to fight but we need to satisfy all the priority information requirements (PIR) of my commander. 

He grabbed his notes to write down his observation log. 

"I wrote down the events to complete my SALUTE report while waiting for Lt Asistores. By that time, his team was already preparing to perform link-up operations with me."

He was jotting notes when Cpl Blanche told him that they were about to be compromised.

"When I peeped through our concealment, I saw a bandit heading towards our position. He looked like heeding the call of nature," he said. 

Several meters behind the bandit, they spotted at least 10-15 others. 

"Some of them were cooking food behind the bush. They looked relaxed and unaware that we have our sights on them. Some of them were lying on their hammocks."

As the bandit came nearer, he knew he couldn't wait for the other platoon to arrive. His heart was pounding heavily and he had to make a bold decision: To kill or be killed!

He pulled the trigger while at the same time, shouting on top of his lungs.

 "Fire!"

He saw the bandits fell one by one in front of him. Some of them desperately dragged their dead companions. They were shouting at the others who were also around the place.

"Kabang-kabang!"

In a matter of seconds, the enemy retaliated with all their might, sending bullets flying towards them. 

Observing the source of gunshots, he noticed that they were in the middle of the enemy's engagement area. 

Part of the large harboring area that was occupied by more or less 300 bandits who almost encircled the recon elements of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion. (1SRB photo)

He counted four M60 General Purpose Machineguns 'singing' a familiar tune. Most of the bandits were only about 10 meters around them. 

"Hold the line! Hold the line!"

He crawled towards Sgt Grabato and yelled at him amidst the deafening explosions. He knew that his platoon was facing a numerically superior enemy.

"Control your men! Keep your head low! Fire only single shots!"

Minutes later, he saw Pfc Blanche bloodied with a chest wound. He was staring at him as if asking for help. 

Bullets kept hissing around him but he didn't think twice to crawl in front to save his wounded friend. 

He told Lazaga and Cajes to give him covering fire as he pulled  his SR course classmate to safer grounds.

"I couldn't allow myself watching a friend die in front of me. I asked for God's protection and rushed towards him."

He successfully carried Blanche to a covered position beside his other teammates. Using his basic first aid skills, he tried to revive him. 

"He was vomiting blood and he was gasping for breath. I did my best but he died within minutes," said Espiritu. 

Returning to his position, he saw that Pfc Rendon stopped firing his K3 Squad Automatic Weapon. His SAW gunner was grimacing in pain due to his injuries.

"He got bullet wounds in his left hand and begged to reposition behind a tree. He couldn't operate the LMG anymore so I assisted him towards the rear."

As the fighting dragged for more minutes, he saw his men hit one by one. M203 high-explosive rounds kept raining around their position, sending countless shrapnel around them. 

Some of his platoon members were hit. One of them was peppered with shrapnel all over his face.

Emboldened by their unfavorable situation, the enemy kept on advancing while shouting 'Allahu akbar!'. They shot them one by one but they kept on rushing forward.

"I directed my men to throw grenades at the enemies who were only about 5 meters around us. Some of them scampered away but one of them threw back one of the grenades, killing Cpl Taluyan instantly."

Listening to the radio traffic, he realized that the reinforcing platoon led by Lt Asistores was already heavily engaged about a hundred meters to his left. 

The gunfire from the enemy gradually waned but his platoon was still confronting about a hundred young fighters who kept on assaulting their position. 

After an hour of trying to repulse the enemy, he saw that most of his subordinates were already wounded including two of his Team Leaders, Sgt Lumandap and Sgt Lazaga. 

There were only two remaining able-bodied soldiers beside him, Pfc Cajes who was also wounded, and Cpl Larroza who was manning the radio while engaging the attackers at the same time. 

About 10 meters away, some of his subordinates took care of the wounded while the others continued fighting. 

"Save your ammo. Let us fight to the last drop of our blood!"

One of his teammates engaged the enemy in a 'psywar'. 

"1st Company, assault! Assault!"

Despite their situation, they smiled when the enemy reacted by delivering heavy volume of fires that they never responded to save on ammunitions. 

"We wanted them to exhaust their ammo supply. We just wanted to fire only at exposed targets," he said.

As agreed, they shot everything that moves behind the bushes around of them. They heard people screaming after being hit. 

Finally, he was able to give the directions of the enemy to his battalion commander who was manning the 81mm Mortar. 

"Sir, 800 mils, 50 meters!" 

When they heard the loud blast near the enemy position, they were motivated to fight. He was down to three 30-round magazines after more than hour of trading fires with the bandits.

"Adjust fire, over! Left 50, add 50!".

He dodged bullets while transferring from one position to another to check on his subordinates. He found out  that some of them were severely wounded while the others sustained multiple shrapnel wounds.

At about 4:00 pm, they heard the attack helicopters hovering above them. 

"The sight of the choppers boosted our morale. They were heaven sent to us."

He gave the enemy's grid locations to the choppers. It looked liked an angry dragon as it blasted the enemy positions with Cal. 50 machinegun rounds and rockets. 

Gradually, the enemies stopped their advance. He directed a team to provide suppressive fires while the others slowly occupied an advantageous ground. They executed the "break contact" SOP.

Returning the favor

Later, he was able to link up with the platoon of Lt Asistores. He was saddened upon learning that along with 16 others, his Company Commander was wounded. 

He directed able-bodied soldiers led by Lt Binias to provide covering fires as the injured soldiers from the group of Lt Asistores were carried to the casualty evacuation point. 

When they accounted their patrol members, he was told that three soldiers belonging to the group of Lt Asistores were unaccounted. 

He learned that three soldiers remained in their original fighting position to provide covering fires, so that the wounded buddies can be evacuated.

Espiritu said that he was also thankful for the soldiers led by Lt Asistores who came to reinforce them. 

"They sustained injuries while trying to avoid the complete annihilation of my platoon. I had to return the favor by fighting for those who launched the counterattack to save us," he said.

In his quick estimate, they were left behind about 50 meters away where the bandits tried to surround the platoon of Lt Asistores. 

"I immediately organized a team to rescue the three heroes who sacrificed themselves so that the others like Sgt Kitong will be saved. I couldn't afford to leave them behind!"

Firing their way towards the enemy's last positions, they were met with resistance but the enemies ran away after a few minutes. 

He found the lifeless bodies of his subordinates who opted to pay the ultimate sacrifice to save many of their fellow Rangers. They were all his dear buddies: Cpl Villaluna, Cpl Caro and Pfc Achas. 

He was teary-eyed but maintained his composure. His team was able to retrieve two guns owned by the dead soldiers.

"I did my very best to save not only my platoon members but all members of my beloved unit, the 1st Scout Ranger Company. I am saddened by their untimely deaths. We are all thankful for their sacrifices. We are alive and ready to fight again because of their heroism."

An hour later, he reunited with the Command Group only to see all 28 wounded company mates including his company commander, Lt. Asistores.

He assisted Lt. Col. Eugene Boquio in preparing the helicopter landing zone (HLZ) where all casualties will be picked up. 

At around 10:00 pm, all wounded men were safely picked up by the Philippine Air Force pilots who dared to fly at night to 'MEDEVAC' the injured soldiers. 

The brave flyboys also airlifted the human remains of 5 soldiers who died fighting heroically that day.

The Joint Task Group Sulu led by Col. Alan Arrojado accounted 10 bandits dead including 2 notorious leaders like Hairullah Asbang and Juli Ekit. At least 15 others were wounded. 

The Abu Sayyaf suffered big losses for the first time in at least 2 years of successfully evading the security forces.

For Lt Dante 'Sprite' Espiritu, the mission is not yet over. He will go back to lead from the front. 

The Scout Rangers recovered personal belongings and solar panels after the encounter in Bud Bunga, Talipao, Sulu on November 14, 2014.

AFP Chief of Staff, General Gregorio Catapang Jr. awards the Gold Cross Medal to Sgt Eddie Lumandap who fought alongside Lt Espiritu against more or less 300 Abu Sayyaf bandits in Talipao town, Sulu on November 14, 2014.

I posed for a souvenir photo with Lt Mike Asistores and Lt Dante 'Sprite' Espiritu during our visit in Zamboanga City. Lt Asistores got wounded for the third time in his career while serving in the field as a company grade officer.

 Sgt Castro 'Caster' Kitong, 38, was my former 'Kaldero 6' in the 10th Scout Ranger Company that I commanded from 2000-2002. Though wounded, he flashed a smile when I came to cheer him up last week. He received his 2nd Wounded Personnel Medal (WPM) from the CSAFP, General Gregorio Catapang Jr.

Sgt Delio Surio, a certified Scout Sniper, experienced one of the bloodiest battles in his life wherein the enemies were only a few meters around him. He engaged a bandit in a 'duel' at around 10 meters using his M16 Rifle. He hit the bandit in the chest but the latter managed to hit his forehead with an M203 Grenade launcher. He was lucky that the HE round did not explode upon impact but he almost passed out.

Battle-scarred Scout Rangers: The story of the next breed of Army warrior-leaders

My souvenir photo with 1st Lt Michael 'Mike' Asistores of the 1st Scout Ranger Company. He was my student in both Rifle and Pistol marksmanship training that I conducted for the members of PMA Class of 2007.

When I visited the battlegrounds of Sulu two weeks ago, I looked for the soldiers whom I worked with in this Abu Sayyaf-infested island exactly fourteen years ago.

As a certified 'Santolan warrior' (garrison duty personnel) nowadays, I missed the company of soldiers who spent time with me in the boondocks of this historic island province, the location of the battle for Bud Daho and Bud Bagsak in the early 1900s.

My photo as a frontline leader that was taken in Hill 509 in the boundary of Patikul and Talipao. Behind us is Mt Munggit. I was facing the direction of Mt Tunggul, Mt Gasam and Mt. Sinumaan. The forested area in this complex is known to be the favorite hiding place of the legendary Radulan Sahiron a.k.a. Commander Putol. 

After scaling Mt Sinumaan in Patikul, I posed for a photo with my mistahs, 1st Lt Eric Sales (left), the former Commanding Officer of the 1st Scout Ranger Company; and, 1st Lt Clifford Cordova, the Commanding Officer of the 19th Scout Ranger Company. Behind us are the low-lying areas of Tanum, Igasan and Taglibi in Patikul town. Eric and Clifford were my buddies when we clashed with Radulan's group in Bgy Baunuh, some 3 kilometers away, northeast from where we stood.

During my recent visit, I was lucky to meet three Musangs (Scout Rangers) whom I had mentored before. 

One of them was 1st Lt Michael 'Mike' Asistores, 30,  the Officer-in-Charge of the 1st Scout Ranger (We Dare) Company. 

The two others, Sgt Quipot and Sgt Cerezo, were my former warriors in the 10th Scout Ranger (We Lead) Company. 

Sgt Castro Kitong, 38, was also a former subordinate but he was not able to come to Bud Datu during my visit at the headquarters of the Joint Task Group Sulu. 

When I mingled with my fellow Scout Rangers during my visit in Sulu, I felt like joining the next combat patrols. My former subordinates, Sgt Cerezo and Sgt Quipot, flanked me in this photo. Also in photo is Medal for Valor awardee, Col. Cirilito 'SJ' Sobejana (2nd from left)

After hearing their personal accounts, I am proud to share the story of Lt. Mike Asistores, a Musang and my marksmanship student,  who followed my footsteps to become a warrior-leader in the First Scout Ranger Regiment. 

Asistores and  Kitong, like many battle-hardened Scout Rangers, are distinguished warriors whose bravery in combat have inspired many soldiers and civilians alike.

Battle-scarred warriors

When he sustained a shrapnel wound in the bloody encounter with more or less 300 Abu Sayyaf bandits in Talipao town early afternoon on November 14, 2014, 1st Lt Mike Asistores of Rizal, Cagayan, became a certified battle survivor. He is bearing several scars including a wound on his face.

It was the third time that he was wounded in his career as an Army leader after graduating from PMA in 2007. He said that he is very lucky to have evaded the claws of death in the past years. 

"By God's grace, he always protected me. Also, our tactical training in the Scout Ranger Training School has equipped us with mission-essential skills and can-do attitude which are needed in the field," he said.  

When his unit was tasked to track the elusive bandits in the hinterlands of Patikul, he knew that he would be facing real-life dangers. Having experienced at least 10 armed encounters, he is no stranger to death-defying actions. 

Meanwhile, Sgt. Castro "Caster" Kitong, was awarded the Wounded Personnel Medal (WPM) when he was first wounded as a Private of the 10th Scout Ranger Company that I commanded from 2000- 2001.

He fought heroically when my unit figured in a 6-hour firefight against more or less 200 Abu Sayyaf bandits in Balatanay, Basilan on October 7, 2001.

I can vividly remember Kitong as the one whom I ordered to crawl an Abu Sayyaf position to grab an M60 Machinegun.

He bravely advanced forward with militiaman Leonardo Orozco while I engaged the bandits in a shootout to provide them covering fires. 

He successfully took away the prized machinegun but he sustained a minor wound on his side and thigh. 

As a personal witness to his exceptional bravery in combat, I did not hesitate to recommend him for the Gold Cross Medal, the third highest combat medal.

I was not surprised that Kitong would emerge as one of the trustworthy NCO-leaders of the 1st Scout Ranger Company in one of the bloodiest firefight that the unit got involved in its unit history.  

I am proud to learn that Caster had become a reliable combat leader. Still believing our original company motto,"Walang iwanan!", was shot in the abdomen while fighting it out with bandits who assaulted their position.

Leader's recon

To gather more information about the enemy and the terrain around Bud (Mount) Bagsak and Bud Tunggul in the boundary of Talipao and Patikul, Lt Asistores directed his Platoon Leader, 2nd Lt Dante "Esprite" Espiritu, to go on reconnaissance patrol. 

"We are aware that the bandits were hiding somewhere in the forest but we could not pinpoint their actual locations. Our tracking skills were put to test again and again," he said. 

Moving stealthily through the dense forest, Lt Espiritu and his men scoured the forest floors, analyzing the ground disturbances. 

About a hundred meters from the unit's rally point, they spotted 20-30 bandits in a makeshift hut near Bud Bunga in the boundary of Talipao and Patikul.  

The recon elements were observing the bandits who are resting in a hut. Espiritu and his men were only about 10-15 meters away from them. 

The designated surveillance elements observed closely behind the shrubs and bushes served as their concealment. 

"When they told me that they had spotted the bandits, my heart was pounding heavily and I felt like warm blood circulated around my body. I know that the time for reckoning is finally reached," he said.

"Unfortunately, a bandit walked towards their hide site. Esprite had to make quick decisions," he added. 

Instead of linking-up with the recon elements to finalize their attack plan, he suddenly heard staccatos of gun fire near the position of Lt Espiritu at around 2:00 pm. 

"Di na maantay ni Sprite na dumugtong ako sa kanya sir kasi maapakan na sila ng kalaban na papunta sa kanilang taguan para magdumi. Nag-command na agad sya na i-engage na ang mga kalaban na iilang metro ang layo sa kanilang harapan," said Asistores. 

The Rangers dominated the fight as they shot all targets in front of them using selective fires, supported by the grazing fires of their light machineguns. 

Unknown to them, all surrounding hills nearby were occupied by at least 300 bandits led by 5 notorious leaders such as Radulan Sahiron a.k.a. Commander Putol, Hairullah Asbang, Jurim Hussein, Hatib Sawadjaan and Juli Ekit. 

Asistores said that Espiritu called for reinforcement minutes into the firefight after incurring at least two casualties.

"I could hear Esprite's voice over the radio amidst the heavy volumes of fire from various directions. They were almost surrounded by the enemy," said Asistores who was only about a hundred meters away. 

'Pintakasi'

Having experienced the 'pintakasi' (attack from all directions) tactics used by the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, Asistores promptly assembled a platoon to help his heavily engaged men. 

His novice platoon leader (PL) , 2nd Lt Matt Binias, 23, a native of Iloilo, was with him. A graduate of PMA Class of 2014, Binias look up to him as a mentor. 

"I told my subordinates to ready their weapons. I told Matt to stay focused and trust our well-experienced subordinates.We approached cautiously from the west of the engaged troops, our guns locked and loaded." 

While approaching the encounter site about 20 minutes later, Asistores and his men saw the bandits who were attempting to outflank the position of Lt Espiritu. They were unaware that the Rangers led by Asistores were coming from behind.

"The bandits wanted to annihilate the platoon of Esprite by attempting to surround them, so I positioned my platoon about 30-50 meters behind the bandits to join the fight," he said. 

He said that he could not allow the enemy to rout his recon elements. He considered his subordinates as his brothers and friends.

"Nang nakapwesto na kaming mabuti, pinaputukan na agad namin sila. Nabulaga namin sila at marami kaming napatumba sa kanila."

Asistores said that an hour into the firefight, he realized that more and more bandits came to attack his platoon. He noticed that there were plenty of M203 grenade launcher rounds that exploded around them. 

"Bullets rained on us. There were too many of them. I knew it was another attempt to surround my position."

Asistores also said that the bandits met them frontally despite being met with fires. 

"The young-looking bandits were very daring and unmindful of our fires. They kept advancing towards our position despite being hit repeatedly. They were very ferocious and daring," he said. 

Finding himself in the middle of overwhelming enemy fires, Asistores called for more support from his battalion commander, Lt Col Eugene Boquio. One by one, he saw his men bloodied after being hit by the enemy. 

"I yelled at my team leaders amidst the intense exchange of fires. I directed Sgt Tumala to direct some of our personnel to extricate the wounded."

Seeing the dead and wounded soldiers around him, Asistores pressed the fight by rallying the remaining soldiers to hold their line to provide support as the casualties are being evacuated. 

After about 2 hours of dodging bullets, he was hit near his arm pit. He felt that something pierced through his flesh but he maintained his composure to inspire his men. He kept shooting at the bandits who tried to come near him.

"One of my team leaders, Sgt Kitong, came to my side and helped me control our remaining troops. He was very concerned when he saw that I was already bloodied," said Asistores. 

Asistores also said that he was lucky to have brave NCO (non commissioned officer) leaders in his company. 

"I credit my NCOs for keeping the integrity of my unit. Aside from Sgt Kitong, my platoon sergeant, SSgt Tumala, was among those who exhibited conspicuous courage by running from one team's position to another to provide leadership amidst the volley of fires," he said. 

Asistores said that 2nd Lt Binias performed very well during  his baptism of fire. 

"He ably led a handful of men to suppress the advancing bandits as I supervised the extrication of our casualties towards the rear. He fought courageously and he successfully prevented the enemy from surrounding our position," he said. 

When I talked to Kitong, he was in high spirits despite having difficulty sharing his experience. He said that he lost three of his team members in the fiercest battle that he experienced in his life.

"I am saddened by the deaths of my dear teammates. I did my best to save them all but God has plans for them," said Kitong, a proud son of Ifugao.  

Drug-crazed juramentados

Meanwhile, Asistores said that the Abu Sayyaf 'borrowed' their courage from the marijuana leaves that they smoked before the firefight. 

His men recovered the left-over of smoked marijuana leaves in the encounter site. 

"That solved the puzzle about their bravery in combat. They were high on drugs. They were drug-crazed fighters," he said. 

Perhaps a coincidence, the encounter took place a few hundred meters away from Bud Bagsak where the historic battle between the American forces led by Gen John 'Blackjack' Pershing and the Tausug warriors took place over a century ago.

Known as the juramentados, the marauding Tausug warriors led the Americans to invent the much powerful Cal. 45 pistol, in order to stop the bolo-wielding Moro fighters.

Based on the recent accounts about drug use, the Abu Sayyaf bandits certainly could not copy the bravery of their ancestors.

Heroes

Asistores said that he considers all five men who paid the ultimate sacrifice as his personal heroes. 

"They have shown us that the true spirit of the Scout Rangers. Walang iwanan. They died fighting for the country with their combat boots on," said Asistores, who was first wounded in an encounter with NPA bandits in Lingig, Surigao del Sur in 2008. 

He also said that he and his men who are now recuperating in the military hospital in Zamboanga, are all willing to come back to Sulu and rejoin their beloved unit. 

"I will gladly go back and be with my men in the frontlines. We must crush the Abu Sayyaf and end its kidnapping business," he said. 

Major encounter

Col Alan Arrojado, the commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu is confident that the AFP can gradually decimate the Abu Sayyaf ranks. 

He also said that the Abu Sayyaf has nowhere to hide if the civilians will cooperate with the military in identifying them and pinpointing their jungle hideouts. 

He said that among those who died were notorious leaders Hairullah Asbang, the brother-in-law of Radulan Sahiron and Juli Ekit. 

Arrojado said that his unit has accounted 10 dead bandits and 15 wounded.

Arrojado also said that all of the injured soldiers have been evacuated to the hospital as of 10:00pm last night (Nov 14). He declined to name the casualties until the nearest kin are notified by the First Scout Ranger Regiment. 

He said that more troops were poured in the peripheries of the encounter area to block the Abu Sayyaf's escape routes.

More support

AFP Chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. has expressed his condolences to the family members of the 5 fallen heroes.

"Please allow me to express my heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones while fighting for the country. I thank them for their selfless service," said Catapang. 

Catapang promptly ordered his senior staff officers to send medical teams, mission-essential equipment and additional supplies for the troops. A C-130 was put on standby to bring them to Sulu today (Nov 15.)

He also said that he wanted to recognize the bravery of the Scout Rangers during his visit next week.

"I want to personally pin the Gold Cross Medals to all deserving warrior-leaders who displayed conspicuous courage in this particular firefight. Their bravery must be emulated by all soldiers."