RECOGNIZING INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS: 53IB’s Intelligence Officer Awarded as 2022 Best Field Officer During 70th Araw ng Zamboanga del Sur.

The Intelligence Officer of the Philippine Army’s 53rd Infantry “Matapat” Battalion (53IB) 2Lt. John Peter Paul L Gaquing was awarded as the “2022 Best Field Officer” by Zamboanga del Sur Governor Victor J. Yu during the Most Outstanding Zambosurians Awarding Ceremony held at the Pavilion Gym, Provincial Government Complex, Dao, Pagadian City on September 17, 2022.

The awarding was part of the 70th Araw ng Zamboanga del Sur celebration with the theme: “Let’s pump up our H.E.A.R.T.S as we gear towards the golden era of Zamboanga del Sur.”

2Lt. Gaquing was recognized for his invaluable efforts as 53IB’s Intelligence Officer for leading a combat encounter against more or less eight ( armed remnants of the CPP-NPA’s defunct GF-BBC, WMRPC on 27 July 2022. The firefight lasted about twenty (20) minutes which resulted to the recovery of one (1) M16A1 assault rifle, one (1) M16 magazine (long), one thousand one hundred (1,170) rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, three (3) rounds of 12-gauge shotgun, CNTs’ personal belongings, and food stuff.

This encounter significantly affected the CTG’s plan to reorganize, weakened the enemy’s recruitment capabilities, and preempted their plan to recover previous mass bases. With these remarkable achievements, 2Lt Gaquing is hereby awarded this special recognition for his commitment to helping and maintaining lasting peace and order in the province making it conducive for future development.