Photo from Wescom
Sailors and marines were recently recognized for their three-month stint to protect some of the Philippine-claimed islands in the Spratly archipelago in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
The troops were awarded the Kalayaan Island Campaign Medal and Military Merit Medal during the flag-raising ceremony at the Western Command (Wescom) headquarters in Puerto Princesa last Monday.
Wescom chief Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez and Naval Forces West commander Commodore Rommel Jasong Galang handed out the medals. The number of recognized troops was not given for security reasons.
Wescom said the awards are regularly given to the deployed troops in recognition for their sacrifices and dedication to secure and protect the sovereignty of the country’s claims in the Spratlys.
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To assert the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the remote and much disputed West Philippine Sea, a handful of marines are deployed on a rotation basis in the country’s nine occupied islands for between three to six months. /muf