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."