• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Sixty-two more Army soldiers stationed in Negros Island were conferred with medals by the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division for act of gallantry and heroism, during awarding rites held at the 62nd Infantry Battalion headquarters in Brgy. Libas, Isabela, Negros Occidental.
The recipients were four military officers and 58 enlisted personnel of the 62IB, wherein Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and concurrent head of the AFP Visayas Command, personally conferred the Military Merit Medals.
In a statement, the 3ID said the 62 Army soldiers were cited for their exemplary performance and heroic achievements from five successful encounters with rebel forces that transpired from November 2022 to January 2023, resulting in the recovery of 10 firearms with ammunition and the deaths of four rebels.
Of the 62 awardees, four personnel received 3 medals, 13 personnel received 2 medals and 45 personnel received one medal for their involvement in the various encounters.
Arevalo earlier conferred similar medals to 94th Infantry Battalion soldiers and troopers of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Forces Company of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, in recognition of their gallantry during two encounters in the cities of Himamaylan and Kabankalan.
The 3ID commander normally confers medals to Army soldiers under his command if they accomplish meritorious achievements, as his way of recognizing their performance, as well as boosting morale.*
