Aklan’s Slain Marine Kin To Receive Erap Assistance

By Boy Ryan Zabal

The family of the slain Philippine Marines Private First Class Jhonard Allanza is one of the recipients of the financial assistance and scholarship grants from "Erap Para Sa Mahihirap" and "Saludo sa Kawal Pilipino Foundation" set up by former President Joseph Estrada.
The P500,000 assistance is part of the P7 million for the 14 Marines killed, 10 of whom were beheaded and mutilated by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf fighters on July 10 in Basilan province.
Aside from Allanza of Brgy. Mandong, Batan, Aklan, the families of Privates First Class Elizar Semeniano, Reuben Doronio Jr., Freddie Palma Jr., Arjorin Alezar, and Emmanuel Beup; Private Emilio Lachica Jr.; Staff Sergeant Bernard Abes of Tawi-Tawi, Technical Sergeant Noel Bautista of Tagum City, Private First Class Wilfredo Lamban of Sultan Kudarat, Sergeant Cayetano Simbajon of Agusan Del Sur, Corporal Russel Panaga of Albay, and Sergeants Gerardo Licup and Rey Callueng will also receive the compensation and benefits.
Estrada is facing a P4 billion plunder case filed against him by the national government in 2001 before the Special Division of the anti-graft court: Sandiganbayan.
The slain 14 Marines were sent to Tipo Tipo town, Basilan to verify reports of the presence of Italian Catholic missionary Giancarlo Bossi kidnapped in Zamboanga Sibugay on June 10, 2007 by Islamic militants. But some 300 MILF fighters engaged them in a ten-hour gun battle while on their way back to their camp.
The 57-year old Bossi was released in the evening of July 19, 2007 by a renegade group of MILF members in the southern province of Lanao del Norte in Mindanao. The family of the fallen soldiers would receive P100,000 financial assistance from Malacañang P15,000 burial assistance from the Philippine Navy, and P50,000 from the Philippine Marines Mutual Special Financial Assistance. /MP