The five policemen killed in the Zamboanga gunbattle were conferred posthumous meritorious promotion by Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima.

Purisima led the police in a wreath-laying rites at Camp Crame in honor of the five fallen policemen. Promoted posthumously to the next higher rank were: Police Inspector Jay L Oy-Oyan; PO3 Murphy Abbilani; PO2 Lawin Salisa; PO2 Enrique Afable; and PO2 Christopher Hernaez.

“They deserve this honor and they are now in the list of police heroes in the Philippines,” Purisima said of the policemen, who all belonged to the police’s elite Special Action Force.

He said that the morale of his men were high because only five of them were killed even if they had such a big task in Zamboanga.

The families of the slain policemen also received death benefits including P250,000  from the President’s Social Fund; PNP special financial assistance; burial benefits and gratuity from the National Police Commission.