President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has declared January 25 of every year as a Day of National Remembrance for the heroic sacrifice of the forty-four (44) uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force or SAF 44 who were killed during the infamous Mamasapano clash.

The Mamasapano clash was an incident that occurred during a police operation, codenamed Oplan Exodus, which took place on Sunday, January 25, 2015, at Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

In issuing Proclamation No. 164 on February 21, 2017, the President said the heroism of the SAF 44 “also serves as a constant reminder of the continuing sacrifices being made by our Valiant Uniformed Men and women in the line of duty.”

“I ask all our countrymen to remember the heroism of the SAF 44 and recall the daily sacrifices of our uniformed personnel for the sake of the continued peace and security of our nation,” Duterte stated in the proclamation.

To recall, on January 25, 2015, forty-four uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force were killed in the line of duty while serving a warrant of arrest to a known terrorist in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

“As the Nation honors the memory of SAF 44, their heroism also serves as a constant reminder of the continuing sacrifices being made by the valiant uniformed men and women in the line of duty,” the President said.