The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) commemorated the 47th anniversary of the Patikul Massacre, during which BGen Teodulfo Bautista and 34 soldiers were killed while on a peace mission.
The incident, known as the Patikul Massacre, shocked the Armed Forces of the Philippines at that time.
BGen Bautista, who was engaged in a peace mission to dialogue with a top leader of the Moro National Liberation Front, was brutally murdered along with several officers and soldiers.
Retired Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, former AFP Chief, emphasized the importance of remembering the past to sustain current peace in Patikul, Sulu.
“Bagamat ina-alaala natin ang nakaraan, ang mas mahalaga ay ang hinaharap,” Bautista stated during the wreath-laying ceremony on Thursday in memory of his father, the late BGen Bautista, who was killed in that massacre.
He urged residents to continue fostering peace as a tribute to those who sacrificed their lives.
The event featured a wreath-laying ceremony where military leaders highlighted the heroism of the fallen soldiers and their commitment to uphold values such as honor and courage.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez stressed the need to protect the fragile peace process while the government works towards resolving remaining insurgencies.
“What’s important is our determination to protect the fragility of the peace process. It must be sustained. It must be saved at all costs,” he explained.
