LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Families and relatives of the 14 natives of the Cordillera who were treacherously murdered by Muslim bandits in the celebrated Mamasapano massacre challenged the national government to initiate appropriate measures to achieve justice for their fallen love ones and punish those responsible for the incident
Garcia Tabdi, Jr., father of Senior Inspector Gednat Tabdi, said most of them felt bad that President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III snubbed the military honors accorded to the slain members of the Philippine National Police – Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) upon the arrival of their remains at the Villammor Air Base in Pasay City Thursday.
“As the Commander-In-Chief, the President is obliged to give utmost priority to the welfare of police and military personnel who died in the performance of their sworn duties and responsibilities. We feel that the President seems to be eluding attending such occasions as he might feel guilty of having a hand in the death of the 44 SAF members in the massacre,” Tabdi stressed.
He described his son as a responsible individual as he was the one who helped his younger brothers pursue their higher degree of education and funded the medication of his mother Edna who is suffering from various illnesses.
Tabdi is a member of Class 2009 of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), who just received his promotion. He is the third of six sons of Garcia and Edna Tabdi, who are residents of Buyagan, Poblacion, this capital town.
Tabdi’s two brothers are now organic members of the PNP assigned in Laguna and Pampanga while his other brother is now undergoing training with the SAF.
“WE want to accord him the traditional Ibaloi rituals for a deceased family members before we will send him off to his wife who is a native of Lamitan, Basilan but he will be buried in Zamboanga,” the older Tabdi said .
His name Gednat was coined from the names of his father and mother, G coming from the first letter of his father’s name Garcia, edna representing the full name of his mother and t representing the first letter of his father’s family name.
Upon arrival here, Tabdi’s remains will be given full arrival honors at Camp Dangwa, the seat of the Police Regional Office – Cordillera, before being brought to the Provincial Capital for one night and another one night stay in their residence prior to his being brought back to Zamboanga.
Tabdi wants the national government to exert all possible efforts to make those responsible for the massacre suffer the penalties of their cowardly act and to abandon the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law in both chambers of Congress since it will just result to increased violence in Mindanao which will be to the determent of the country’s overall peace and order situation.
The younger Tabdi’s wife is a Muslim Christian who is a nurse and a native of Lamitan, Basilan. She is reportedly six months pregnant for their first child after getting married only last October.
He cited if the Muslim bandits did not murder the fallen law enforcers, then they should not have robbed them of their personal belongings and their firearms.
According to him, when they called up the cellphone number of their son after the incident, a male individual answered the mobile phone and informed him that his son already died.
Emeliza Danao, wife of PO2 Walner Danao of Irisan, Baguio City, was emotional upon learning her husband’s death, saying that what aggraviated her emotions was that when a male person answered her husband’s mobile phone and introduced himself as Bryan and informed her that the owner of the cellphone is already dead.
She claimed she does not know how to start life after her husband’s death considering that they have a 1-year old baby boy and that she is unemployed.
For her part, Mary Dailay Kayob, mother of PO2 Jerry Kayob, was also emotional after being informed of her son’s death as a result of the Maguindanao massacre, saying that even her wise who is working in Thailand as a teacher cannot believe that her husband died.
She said they will await the arrival of her son’s wife before they will inform their 10-year child about what happened to his father.
Earlier, Cordillera officials were united in condemning the brutal murder of the PNP-SAF members in the celebrated Maguindanao massacre as they called on the government to review their position on the BBL which is no longer practical at this time that emotions are at their height against the perpetrators of the incident.
The fatalites from the Cordillera are Senior Inspector Cyrus Aniban of Balbalan, Kalinga; Senior Inspector Gednat Garambas Tabdi of La Trinidad, Benguet; PO3 Robert Domollog Allaga of Banaue, Ifugao; PO3 Noel Onangey Golocan of Baguio City; PO2 Peterson Indongsan Garap of Kabayan, Benguet; PO2 Walner Faustino Danao of Baguio City; PO2 Franklin Cadap Danao of Tinoc, Ifugao; PO2 Jerry Dailay Kayob of La Trinidad, Benguet; PO2 Noble Sungay Kiangan of Mankayan, Benguet, PO2 Nicky de Castro Nacino, Jr. of Baguio city; PO2 Joel Dulnuan of Kaingan, Ifugao; PO1 Russel Bawaan Bilog of Baguio City, PO1 Gringo Charag Cayang-o of Sadanga, Mountain Province and PO1 Angel Chocowen Kodiamat of Mankayan, Benguet
