Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., honored the 43 Scout Rangers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the 2017 campaign to liberate Marawi City during a wreath-laying ceremony at the First Scout Ranger Regiment’s (FSRR) Headquarters in Camp Pablo Tecson, San Miguel, Bulacan on April 27, 2023.
Lt. Gen. Brawner, who was accompanied by FSRR Commander Brig. Gen. Freddie T. Dela Cruz, laid the wreath at a monument lined with rifles and combat helmets that symbolized the 43 Scout Rangers including the late Army Captain
Rommel B. Sandoval who was posthumously conferred the Medal for Valor for his gallantry in saving a group of Scout Rangers who had been trapped in a building at the main battle area.
The wreath-laying ceremony preceded the Battle of Marawi Symposium that served as a platform where Scout Ranger veterans shared best practices; tactics, techniques, and procedures; lessons learned; and experiences during the five-month campaign to liberate Marawi City from ISIS-inspired terrorists in 2017.
“The successful liberation of the entire Marawi City from the clutches of the Maute Group demonstrated the capability and resolve of the Philippine Army to win what is now acknowledged as the longest urban battle in the history of the Philippines,” Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., who served as the deputy commander of Task Force Ranao and spokesman of Task Force Marawi, said in his remarks.
Photos by Cpl. Josel P. Sucayan and Pfc. Rodgen V. Quirante PA/ OACPA