A sad story of a son losing a brave military father

Slain Navy Petty Officer saw his baby son only once!

The latest dispute between the group of MNLF and government forces has turned the life of a budding daddy in a tragedy. Navy Petty Officer 3 Jose Audrey Bañares was one among those killed in an encounter with the armed followers of MNLF chief, Nur Misuari.

Bañares reportedly sent a text message last Sunday night to his wife that his Navy unit is on its way to a mission in Basilan province. The next morning, his wife called him up but nobody answered. An hour later she received a call informing that her husband was killed in an encounter with the rebel group while securing the river as a gunner in Zamboanga City. Six other Navy men were wounded in the said incident.

Bañares hailed from Tabuelan, Cebu and was the youngest among the nine children. His siblings also belong to the military and police force. He has been with the Naval Special Operations Group (Navsog) for 18 years.

The slain Navy man saw his one-month old child for the first and the last time last July during the child's baptism.

His remains was airlifted back to his family in Cebu and was given a hero's welcome by Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, chief of the Armed Forces Central Command (Centcom); Commodore Reynaldo Yoma, Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) chief; and Brig. Gen. Edwin Manuel Remotigue, 2nd Air Division deputy commander.

A very sad story indeed for a dad who will no longer see his son, and for a son who never sees his dad.

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