THE AFTERMATH
The counter attack from the enemy never came. On the following day, platoons were sent out on patrol. The platoon from Hotel Coy had some skirmishes with the enemy and was able to recover the 2 base plates of the Command Group's 81mm mortars. Maybe, some people were still trying to return to their homes but "Jose Rizal" had already razed their houses down to the ground. We continued looking and identifying the people we knew. Seeing our dead comrades whom we knew intimately, we were seething with vengeance. We lost count of the dead bodies, some women and children caught in the crossfire. We thought we lost 124 government troops because of the uniform; but as we aligned the cadavers along the shoreline and later crosschecked with the troop listing, the names that were unaccounted totaled to 118. So let me mention their names here in order for us to remember and honor them:
LTC JACINTO SARDUAL (CO, 31IB), 1LT ALFREDO REYES (S-3), 1LT CLAUDIO DAGATAN (CO, HHSCoy), 1LT COBAYAN TANDIONG (S-2), 2LT JOEL CAÑARES (CO, "E"Coy), 2LT TITO CASTILLO (Sig Ofcr), Ssgt Romeo Bartolazo, Sgt Dante Agne, Sgt Rolando Aroyo, Sgt Marcial Descallar, Sgt Emiliano Devera, Sgt Avelino Mabilangan, Sgt Mamerto Roxas, Sgt Nemesio Sumayo, Cpl Efren Bandong, Cpl Venus Castro, Cpl Leopoldo Hidalgo, Cpl Leopoldo Hidalgo, Cpl Avelino Nato, Cpl Rolando Pascua, Cpl Virgilio San Pedro, Cpl Leo Sagudang, Cpl Felix Timbreza, Pfc Rogelio Abo, Pfc Enrico Acado, Pfc Romulo Aguilar, Pfc Graciano Antonio, Pfc Rolando Cojales, Pfc Timoteo Cojas, Pfc Alberto Dahiwag, Pfc Robin Dayag, Pfc Fernan Gumaca, Pfc Antonio Ilumin, Pfc Wilfredo Javier, Pfc Francisco Lopes, Pfc Crisostomo Mateo, Pfc Apolonio Mateo, Pfc Manuel Moreno, Pfc Jose Mupas, Pfc Alberto Nicolas, Pfc Ernesto Nicolas, Pfc Benito Palatao, Pfc Flavino Pascual, Pfc Efren Pontanal, Pfc Federico Quinangon, Pfc Efren Reyes, Pfc Ernesto Rodolfo Pfc Rogelio Rufinta, Pfc Rogelio Sagun, Pfc Pablo Salonga, Pfc Conrado Samson, Pfc Nestor Tenollar, Pfc Federico Toledo, Pfc Wilfredo Viernes, Pfc Orlando Villanueva, Pfc Dante Villasita, Pvt Tito Bagao, Pvt Felix Baluyan, Pvt Henry Basilio, Pvt Miguelito Batarao, Pvt Eduardo Cuison, Pvt Efren A Cureg, Pvt Raul Dacudao, Pvt Dominador Duldolao, Pvt Mercedarios Gooc, Pvt Rodolfo Manangan, Pvt Ernesto Pescador, Pvt Aniceto Rodrigo, Pvt Fredie Sepnio, Pvt Marianito Suyat, Pvt Marcelino Valdez, 1CT Abraham Flores, 1CT Samuel Salunpid, 1CT Jose Viloria Jr, 2CT Joel Alag, 2CT Jaime Alfeche, 2CT Nestor Aliangan, 2CT Luis Aracheta, 2CT Al Cabanieros, 2CT Jaime Caprico, 2CT Darico Carlizo, 2CT Nestor Celestial, 2CT Ebenezer Corcuera, 2CT Santiago Daldalanin, 2CT Efrain Diocay, 2CT Santos Dioquino, 2CT Nestor Durato, 2CT Celerino Ewag Jr, 2CT Jose Fernandez, 2CT Raymundo Gabriel, 2CT Eliseo Guerrero, 2CT Romulo Hererra, 2CT Bobby Impeno, 2CT Juanito Jamera Jr, 2CT Danilo Java, 2CT Noble Jundon, 2CT Nestor Ledesma, 2CT Susanito Lutas, 2CT Madangan Mangoga, 2CT Perfecto Medel, 2CT Eric Mejares, 2CT Alberto Montes, 2CT Rogie Morales, 2CT Victor Napoles, 2CT Lauro Naritasan, 2CT Bernardo Ragudo, 2CT Pere Ranay, 2CT Nacito Tabaniag, 2CT Nestor Trinidad, Dft Bobby Calina, Dft Teresito Gonzales, Dft Emerson Gumtang, Dft Alejandro Masin, Dft Constantino Pascual. Dft Francisco Pasion, Dft Diamante Patron, Dft Rodolfo Ruiz, Dft Felix Santos, and Dft Ruben Sapad.
We saw LTC SARDUAL slumped at a foot of a tree where his lower torso burned. Most of the dead soldiers were found inside a pit beside the mosque – scorched. Overseeing the retrieval of our dead comrades was more devastating than the attack. Many from us were weeping but I was insensate. I withstood the smell of burning flesh while others were covering their nostrils with handkerchiefs. The 3 survivors all came from the pit hole were wounded. It seemed that almost everybody jumped into the pit to take cover, bodies on top of each other. Others were found towards the shore. There was no place to run. Directly above where the shooting came from, we found cal .30 empty shells and broken links. The perpetrators used a machinegun, telling us that the massacre was deliberately planned. There were soldiers with open wounds on their arms and bodies. Maybe, when still alive, the unarmed soldiers parried sharp objects such as bolos, barongs or kris, with their bare hands; and those soldiers who were laying still, the natives, including women, made sure they were dead. Recollection of the repulsive sight and noxious smell still pains me to describe!
HOMEWARD BOUND
On Valentine's Day of that year, 32nd IB came and replaced us at 1330H from our position. Many troops came pouring in. LTGEN FORTUNATO ABAT '51, who was the CGPA at that time, visited the massacre site. He talked to us. I remember GEN LUGA telling us the reason why he was pulling us out of Pata Island. He told us that he did not want anymore our battalion to incur more casualties. We had enough. We were already becoming careless and aggressive. Lastly, we were being blinded by our desire to get instant revenge. Away from the group of generals, COL CANIESO told me by saying but I know he was referring to the troops, "We need you alive not dead!"
Still in the island and later back to the mainland, seeing familiar faces was very soothing for me. I saw the Jolo Boys in the rescue: LIEUTENANTS LIM USMA'78, PURUGGANAN '78, ABELIA '79, ARADANAS '79, BAMBAO '79, CALALANG '79 (+), DELA CRUZ '79, DELLOSA '79, PANGILINAN '79, PALMEA '79, PERALTA '79, VALENTIN '79, BOLO '80, FRANCISCO '80, MENDOZA '80, NOBLE '80, PASAMBA '80, SUGON '80, and YANO '80. Then, an Acting Battalion Commander by the name of COL ABRAHAM MAGHARI, with a new set of staff, arrived and took over 31st IB.
Back at my company CP at Indanan, LT GONGORA and I wrote LTC OLAY, who was in Australia, an extensive letter narrating to him the massacre. We told him how we wished he was there. Perhaps, different things might have happened. I learned later that the Pata Island Massacre occurred on the exact date of GENERAL OLAY's 37th birthday! The news became the worst birthday present he had in his lifetime.
The Pata Island Massacre will go down in the AFP history as its worst debacle. This is the encounter that has the highest number of casualty, specifically on KIAs.
source:
http://www.army.mil.ph/Pata/default.htmLinkback:
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