THE Philippine Navy has accorded honors to officers and men of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-4 (MBLT-4) for their accomplishments in combat operations that led to the neutralization of some noted terrorists in Mindanao.
Lieutenant Colonel Omar Tonsay said the honors were accorded to the MBLT-4 by Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama upon the troops' arrival Thursday at the Navy headquarters in Roxas Boulevard, Manila.
The MBLT-4, composed of 19 officers and 424 enlisted personnel, arrived Thursday in Manila for retraining after 10 years of being assigned in Mindanao, Tonsay said.
He said the most noteworthy among the MBLT-4's achievements is the neutralization of Abu Sayyaf bandit leader Albader Parad on February 21, 2010 and five of his comrades, as well as the recovery of five high-powered firearms and ammunition.
Tonsay said the MBLT-4 also successfully raided a two-hectare marijuana plantation in Barangay Patao, Maimbung, Sulu and another 1.5 hectare in nearby Barangay Binuang, Talipao in the same province, with an estimated total market value of P32 million on May 22 and June 26, 2008, respectively.
He said Pama also lauded the MBLT-4 troops for their major operations against secessionist groups in different parts of Mindanao and the team's success in winning the trust and confidence of the populace in the various areas they were deployed.
Pama likewise acknowledged the members of the MBLT-4 who have fallen in the line of duty and who have lived up to the standard of a true Marine, "ever committed to the ideals of the Philippine Marine Corps and the Navy."
Tonsay said the MBLT-4's activities in its area of responsibility were not confined to combat operations alone, but were extended to various humanitarian projects that benefited local residents such as construction of road networks, water systems and school buildings.
He said the MBLT-4 also taught local residents to engage in seaweeds farming, thus helping alleviate the flight of living of people they meet in their areas of operation.
"These missions highlight the Navy's Fleet-Marine operations where Sailors and Marines work in tandem in support of the government's peace and development efforts," Tonsay added.
